Stone By Stone
by AlienAmongUs
Summary: Post finale. The town moves on after the Miss Twin Peaks Contest, while FBI Bureau Chief Gordon Cole and the Blue Rose Agents arrive to secure the Glastonbury Grove site. Sheriff Truman and Deputy Hawk investigate, and Agent Cooper recovers...
1. Prologue

Author's Note: A long time coming... my mini-novella wrapping up all the loose ends of the _Twin Peaks _series and movie. :) This first instalment (of a projected twelve chapters) features adapted lines and scenes from both the 'Fire Walk With Me' shooting script by David Lynch and Robert Engels, and the first draft of the 'Twin Peaks Episode 29' script by Mark Frost, Harley Peyton and Robert Engels.

To go by the timeline of the show, the events of the prologue take place roughly from late into the night of Sunday, 26th March, into the early hours of the morning of Monday, 27th March. The year is 1989.

DISCLAIMER: 'Twin Peaks' is created by David Lynch and Mark Frost. This non-profit piece is not intended as an infringement of any copyright held by Lynch, Frost or others of any 'Twin Peaks' related licences.

**"Don't search for all the answers at once. A path is formed by laying one stone at a time." - The Giant, **_**Twin Peaks Episode 8**_

**"You're on the path. You don't need to know where it leads. Just follow." - Hawk, **_**Twin Peaks Episode 16 **_

**PROLOGUE**

Searing pain through his head… he struggled to recall the events as to how that near-mortal wound had come about, but it suddenly brought to mind a series of distorted images and strange, but familiar faces before his eyes… and a greater pain then he felt now… and screaming... then nothing.

As he awoke, Benjamin Horne let out a long, weary sigh as he turned onto his back in bed within a private suite at Calhoun Memorial Hospital. It had been nearly twenty-four hours since he had been rushed to the emergency room, and operated on. He had been told by the surgeon it had been lucky he had arrived when he did, the haemorrhaging that could have occurred in his fractured skull would have resulted in considerable brain damage.

He self-consciously brushed his fingers on the bandages at the centre of his forehead. Not only did he have William Hayward to thank for this, but it was also the good doctor who immediately took him to the hospital. And of course, there was he to blame. It may be worth considering the price this dubious quest to 'do good' was increasingly beginning to cost him...

Turning onto his side, Ben struggled to get himself into a comfortable position in the tangle of sheets. Facing the door, he then frowned as he noticed a tall dark shape just standing inside the door of the room which he only realized now was slightly ajar. He instantly bolted up in the bed, realizing the amount of people who would be quite interested to learn he was in such a vulnerable state right now. Images of a leering Jean Renault appeared before his eyes...

But before he could cry out a small nervous laugh sounded. "Hey, take it easy, brother Ben! ...I had to slip in as quietly as I could..." The figure step forward, and with the small light creeping in from the corridor outside Ben could just make out the familiar unruly hair, dark shades and suspenders and a tweed coat, accompanied by a fashionable shirt with a bright bow tie.

"God's sake, Jer! You almost gave me a heart attack! Do you think I want to be in this disease-ridden hellhole any longer then I need?!", he seized a nearby vase of flowers (sent by Catherine Martell) to throw at his younger brother. Jerry Horne frantically put his finger to his mouth, and waved his other hand in panic to encourage a swift silence.

Ben suddenly realized. He narrowed his eyes, relaxing his grip on the vase. "Visiting hours are long over. How did you get all the way up here?"

His brother chuckled mischievously, clapping his hands together. "You remember Susan Alexander?"

There was a small pause, and Ben chuckled, "Ah yes, your old high school sweetheart... your eh... first time, I daresay?"

Jerry let out another mischievous chuckle. "And who I happen to find all-too-obliging to look the other way at reception?"

"Your surprise me, Jer, didn't realize your considerable charm carried so far with the local females. Mothers lock up your daughters, indeed." Ben rolled his eyes. "Why are you here?"

Jerry pretended not to hear him, putting his hands in his pockets as he walked toward the chair at Ben's side. He took a seat, and still said nothing. Jerry glanced around the suite at something to direct his attention towards.

"Gee, it's a nice set-up you got here. I wonder did they know that the red striping on blue were kinda the same as the one on the Icelandic flag, I was told the naval cross represents their independence." He sighed. "Y'know, I think I miss Iceland."

It wouldn't be much of a stretch to assume Jerry was thinking little of Icelandic nationalism right now. "Can it, Jer. Are my worst suspicions right, is this injury worse then I'm being told?"

Jerry shrugged, nervously. "I don't know Ben… "Noticing the sour expression with which Ben was now regarding him, Jerry added, "… b-b-but I'm no expert! And it's not what I'm here for."

"Then, if you're here, to what do I owe this… nocturnal rendezvous? More of a former courtesy to the girls up in Jack's if I recall."

Jerry grinned at the thought of their old trips up river to check out the 'new girl', but his expression then quickly turned serious. He walked around the bed to be closer to his brother, and removed his glasses in order to clean them with a handkerchief in his pocket. He then decided to think better of it, and hastily put them back on. Ben rather got the impression he was mentally preparing a speech. Jerry then leaned forward in his chair, clasping his hands together. He opened his mouth, then closed it, and then sighed before he finally spoke.

"Two things. First off, is Sylvia. She um… kinda kicked me out, too. She's pretty mad, Ben. And she's already talking about a divorce."

_Terrific._ His erstwhile wife was usually so good at fading into the background for long periods of time when they got totally sick of each other. "Forget that for now. Where are you staying?"

"The Pine Falls Motel."

"That rundown shack? Oh, no, no, not good enough for a Horne. Rest assured, brother of mine, my soon-to-be ex-wife will prepping the very sheets for your executive suite!"

Jerry tried to laugh at his older brother's comment, but failed. He gulped. To Ben's surprise, Jerry suddenly gently held his right hand. He opened his mouth, then closed it, and then sighed before he finally spoke.

"There's more. And it's kinda to do why Sylvia is so mad."

"What now? …oh, don't tell me the good Catherine Martell decided to tell all of our onetime romance?"

"Oh, nothing like that. Ben… do you remember… what you told Audrey to do – the day after the beauty pageant?"

Ben looked at him quizzically, and paused for a moment. He hadn't heard his brother talk in such a genuinely serious tone since Jerry straight out asked him had he murdered Laura Palmer. It unnerved him.

Audrey… so much had happened since he and his only daughter had last spoken, Ben had surprisingly given her little thought since the disastrous Miss Twin Peaks Contest. It would be a fine example to spring Sylvia into action to claim visiting rights, he thought bitterly, if his two children had been younger. Then of course, there had been the conversation with Donna – certainly disastrous in itself – and then some madman wrecking havok at the Miss Twin Peaks Contest. It suddenly dawned on Ben he had no idea if Cooper and the Sheriff actually had caught up with whoever caused all that trouble. It certainly would do no good for the publicity of the area... and attendance at the hotel. Which was all he needed right now.

Ben nodded, "I remember. We talked about organising a series of public protests to draw awareness to Ghostwood. But nothing set in stone. I suggested chaining herself to the door of the vault of the Twin Peaks Savings and Loan." He grinned. "You know that old fool Mibbler is still running things there? Think he could stop her before she tried?"

To his surprise, Jerry didn't seem to see the usual humor in ridiculing their fellow townspeople. He was still speak in that strangely serious tone Ben was increasingly finding unsettling. "Well, that's our Audrey... she kinda, went ahead and did it anyway. Syliva wasn't too pleased."

"Really?" Ben was surprised, and suddenly felt a tremendous upsurge of affection for his daughter. That she would she still help his cause even after the continued neglect._ I should have made sure she was alright after that damn contest, then chasing after past mistakes. And making new ones. _

Jerry nodded, and Ben felt the grip on his hand tighten.

"Ben, there's more..." Jerry sighed. "The nurses didn't want to tell you, and Sylvia agreed. Something about your blood pressure. But - "

"Audrey." Ben whispered. Jerry wasn't bringing bad news about him...

Jerry hurriedly went on, he had obviously been holding all this in since he arrived. "There was an... incident at the bank this morning. They're still trying to figure it out, but as far as anyone can tell, there was some sort of exploision. But Audrey - "

"Jerry!" Ben shouted, bolting up in the bed. His brother nearly fell out of the chair in surprise, as Ben let go of his hand and grabbed the front of Jerry's coat. He pulled him so they were nose-to-nose. His voice was beginning to break. "Is she alive?!"

"She - " Ben then could hear approaching footsteps. Jerry quickly went on, as he tried to get up out of his seat but Ben refused to let go of his coat. "They're still looking for survivors, but I thought it was important as they found some people in what was left of the building not too long ago. But they're not saying who... I'm upset too, Ben, but I have to - " He then prised Ben's hand loose, not noticing his elder brother's grip had slackened away and his body seemed to sag in his bed. Ben was gaping at the cieling. His Audrey... ? Must she suffer for his mistakes too?

Suddenly, a large, burly security guard walked in whom Jerry suddenly hit into as he tried to make a hasty exit. He was followed by a nurse Ben recognized as bringing him his dinner. She narrowed her eyes, and shouted at Jerry. "Mrs. Horne told me you might try this! Her husband is not to be put under any great degree of stress!"

Jerry was about to respond with a fumbling excuse, but all three then jumped in surprise.

"OH GOD!" Ben shouted, slapping his hand to his face, digging the fingernails into his cheek. "WHAT HAVE I DONE?!"

The nurse raced over to Ben's side, as she looked back at Jerry. "Now, you've done it!"

Jerry was aghast. It was likely the nurse's tone reminded him of how Sylvia had spoken to him regarding Ben. "He has a right to know! Jeez, it's his only daughter!"

The nurse looked down at Ben's tear-stricken face. "Please, nurse… she's all I have left after the fiasco that got me here. You have to – "

The nurse nodded. "It's alright Mr. Horne, I'll be sure to arrange something." She then looked at the security man behind her, and indicated to Jerry. "Get him out of here."

Smiling, the security man grabbed Jerry by the shoulder and pulled him towards the door, ignoring Jerry's protests and cries for Ben.

All of this (particularly his younger brother's current predicament) seemed so far away to Ben now. The thought that his ham-fisted campaign to save the Ghostwood forests may have taken his daughter's life made him feel so distant from any other concern. And he and Audrey had just been back on such good terms too, considering the poor example he had been setting for himself as a parent, particularly since Laura Palmer had died.

"Mr. Horne, I'm going to call the emergency room now. I'll let you know as soon as I learn anything."

Ben tried to smile, nodding as he waved the nurse away – leaving him alone in the dark to the pondering of his numbing regrets.

* * *

At that very moment, in a room just off the emergency ward, Nurse Mary Rhodes was tending to the unconscious Annie Blackburn in her bed. Not Mary, or indeed, any of the other hospital staff had been informed what exactly had put Ms Blackburn in this state, save for the fact it was the result of her abduction and confrontation with her kidnapper at Glastonbury Grove. Not surprisingly, Deputy Andy Brennan had been none-too-forthcoming on the details.

It seemed to Mary an unusual site for the kidnapper to go at that old circle of sycamores in the woods. She remembered her late grandfather telling ghost stories about the woods surrounding the town when she was younger, and how all the ghosts came from Glastonbury Grove. But Mary had no belief for such stories, she couldn't help but cast her mind back when she heard the name of where Annie was found.

She continued mopping Annie's sweating forehead with a small sponge, as the young girl struggled between conscious and unconsciousness. She then turned towards Mary, and her eyes parted slightly.

Annie then spoke barely above a whisper. "My name is Annie. I've been with Dale and Laura. The good Dale is trapped in the Lodge. Write it in your diary."

_Poor thing, has no idea what's happening_, Mary thought, putting the sponge back in the basin on Annie's bedside table. She then took Annie's right hand, and smiled at her, hushing her as Annie then closed her eyes. "It's alright dear, we've put in a call to your sister. She's nearly here."

Mary then frowned as she looked down at Annie's hand. There on Annie's ring forefinger, was a strange ring Mary hadn't noticed since she had started tending to the young girl. The rock in the ring was a dark green, and on it a gold symbol. Mary couldn't guess what the strange markings were meant to symbolize, but there was something so alluring about it, almost continually _pulling _her eyes toward it no matter how hard Mary tried to look away. And before she knew it, Mary was slipping the ring from the unconscious Annie's finger, and onto her own...

* * *

" – and then I got Annie Blackburn to the hospital and Harry thought the best idea was to take Agent Cooper to the Great Northern and call Doc Hayward. And then he called me over the radio to tell me to come find you. Is that okay, Hawk?"

Deputy Tommy 'Hawk' Hill smiled in the direction of his fellow Deputy Andy Brennan. The pair, along with Deputy Cappy, were spread around amongst the trees roughly a mile from Glastonbury Grove. Deputy Cappy was some distance ahead judging from the flashlight far away, and unsurprisingly, Andy had rarely left Hawk's side since joining them in their search for Windom Earle.

"Hey, We need all the help we can get, Andy. You don't need me telling you Windom Earle is a dangerous felon that must found as soon as possible."

Andy suddenly shivered, though Hawk couldn't tell whether that was due to the prospect of running into Windom Earle or the unsettling cold that had only taken hold over the woods in the last few hours. Hawk would nearly venture to guess the cold was decidingly unnatural for this time of year, but he kept his focus on the task at hand. And especially not of any ramifications of the forces Dale Cooper and Windom Earle may have confronted - and unleashed - tonight.

He chalked up that grim notion for the reason he'd jumped slightly when Deputy Cappy came over the walkie talkie on his belt. Smiling wryly, Hawk took the walkie talkie from his belt and spoke into it. "We're here, Cappy."

"I'm at an old cabin, not unusual for these parts - there's a few abandoned around here. But there's a series of tracks suggesting someone was here recently."

Hawk could see Andy stiffen uncomfortably out of the corner of his eye. "That must be him. Wait there, we're just behind you. Keep a close eye for any activity inside."

* * *

Two days. That was as much as Leo Johnson had endured lying here - carefully balancing the string running from his teeth to the hastily makeshift cage of deadly spiders above him. Two days since Windom Earle said his goodbye to his onetime slave, and parted through the cabin door forever, leaving Leo to his fate.

A combination of rage at Earle and sheer stubbornness had kept Leo going. But he was so far from anyone... and Shelley.

Strange how being held prisoner had eventually cleared his head since the shooting some lifetimes ago - despite the fatigue and constant, numbing fear. He felt no great degree of romantic love for his wife, that much was true, but here, at the hands of the abuse of a different kind of madman... he could now almost understand why she had betrayed him for Bobby. Maybe when they found him, he could tell her that. But maybe Earle had found Bobby's father?

_No._ Leo couldn't resign himself to that thought yet. Earle had not yet returned, though his goodbye had seemed fairly definite, almost like he did not expect anyone to ever find Leo.

Leo then froze, and struggled to keep his attention on maintaining the string. He could now hear nearby footsteps. He frantically tried to maintain his concentration on the string. By now of course he practically had no feeling in his face, as stiff as his neck was. But just a little longer...

Then, he was sure he heard a walkie talkie. _Rescue. Safe. _

He rolled his pupils towards where he remembered where the window was. He could see the faint dim of a flashlight outside it, and two more approaching. He heard the men speak in a low mutter.

"What did you find?" It was Deputy Hawk.

"Here." Leo didn't recognize the other man, but he did of the third voice, that of Deputy Brennan. Who would have thought he would ever count that awkward, bumbling Andy Brennan as his saviour?

Leo closed his eyes, struggling to focus and not give in to the urge to scream for help.

"What is it?"

"Fresh footprints. Maybe a day old, coming from inside." Hawk explained. "Harry said to take no chances, fellas."

Leo's eyes quickly snapped open. He could hear the men drawing their guns._ No! Just point your flashlights through the window and see where I am! _

They were going to disturb the cage if they suddenly barged in. Leo might have cried if he could. There was only one thing for it, he would have to part his mouth slightly and let out some sort of noise to communicate his plight. Desperate yes, but he must -

Suddenly, the door burst open, and slammed off the oppisite wall -

A slight tremble went through the shed, the floor, the walls, the roof -

And then -

The cage also shook wildly. For a moment, Leo's vision was constricted by the flashlights shining on his face, but he could see a dreadful, eight-legged form leap from above...

Then time seemed to come to slow down, as the figures in the Twin Peaks Sheriff's Station uniforms called out his name to him - or shouted in surprise - before the spider dominated his entire line of vision upon landing on his face.

He gritted his teeth as the spider instantly bit into his cheek, and he refused in his exhaustion to scream in pain or fight the spider in vain - however small, it was the one last victory he would never give Windom Earle. He could already hear the rising cries of the deputies calling his name and the loud movement of furniture they shoved aside as they got closer to him. But Leo Johnson paid any of these little thought in his last moment of life, rather, it was that he would now never know if old Major Briggs had saved Shelley.

* * *

"Good morning, Robert."

Bobby had just closed the front door and entered the Briggs' household living room, and he jumped a little at the sound of the elder Briggs' voice, spitting his unlit cigarette across the room, where it landed by Garland's feet.

"Sorry." His son smiled sheepishly, walking over and hastily picking up the cigarette and putting it in the pocket of his leather jacket. "You kinda creeped me out sitting in the dark there, Dad."

"Oh, I couldn't sleep. Thought the words of the ancient Scripture would soothe my troubled mind." Garland indicated to the open Bible in his lap. He was currently sitting in the corner of the living room in his dressing gown.

"Yeah right..." Bobby scratched behind his ear self-consciously. "... that whole kidnapping thing... how are you holding up after that?"

Garland shrugged. It had been a topic much avoided, (much as his wife's assistance), in the family since he had come home. "Oh, I don't seem to remember much, and knowing that I'm here with my family seems a good a cure as any."

"Listen Dad, about why I'm late - " Bobby began.

Garland held up a hand. "Now look, son, your mother and I have noticed your obvious attraction to Mrs Johnson enough to put two-and-two together, particularly today in the Double R Diner. But I must remind you that despite whatever questionable reputation her missing husband might have had, she's still married. It is important to still respect those bonds."

As he expected, there was a momentary flash of anger on Bobby's face, but it quickly subsided. Bobby softened, and merely shrugge. "Right. ...Listen, I'm um, heading to bed... early start tomorrow. What about you?"

Garland smiled. "You forget I'm still on leave, Robert. In fact, I was hoping I might avail of your time sometime tomorrow to take a long walk in the woods. The forecast looks good. And it's been a while since we talked of recent developments."

He was heartened to see his son seemed interested. Bobby grinned. "Sure, Dad. Look forward to it"

And with that, father and soon said good night, and Bobby walked up the staircase to his room. Garland bookmarked his page, closing the Bible and leaving it on his shelf.

Not even the words of the ancient Scripture could soothe his troubled thoughts tonight. What could Sarah Palmer have ment today in the Double R? In that strange, unearthly voice?

_I'm with Dale Cooper in the Black Lodge. I'm waiting for you._

The Black Lodge was an old legend of the Flathead Native American tribe long before Windom Earle had coveted it's power. And Garland had seen enough in his time at the military, and particularly recently, since Laura Palmer died, to sit up and take notice of such things. Before, he would have instantly reported such a matter to the military. But lately, there was one other, who perhaps held a deeper understanding and connection to these mysterious forces...

He had in fact visited Glastonbury Grove later that day not long after meeting Sarah, to find and armed and waiting Sheriff Truman sitting on a dirt bank outside the circle of sycamore trees. Truman had explained to him what he had seen the night before. Garland himself tried stepping into the circle of sycamores to no effect. He thought it best to leave Truman to his guard until there were more developments. And in fact, not too long ago, Truman had personally called him at home to tell him that an unconscious Dale Cooper and Annie Blackburn had been found. But there was no sight of Windom Earle.

Had Earle found what he was looking for? Who else could have been waiting for Garland in the Black Lodge - if that realm did indeed exist?

These were questions that had continued to play in his mind since learning of Cooper's reappearance, and they continued to trouble him as he returned to bed alongside his sleeping wife. Were these forces something he himself dare tamper with? For what purpose would he need to? He had confronted his own recent terrors, and beaten them. And perhaps it best for now that Dale Cooper was left to confront his own.

* * *

"Coop... ? Coop?"

"Cooper, are you alright?"

Sheriff Harry Truman and Doctor William Hayward anxiously watched the door of the bathroom of room No. 315 at the Great Northern Hotel. Mere moments had passed when a dazed Dale Cooper shut the door behind him, requesting to brush his teeth. All of a sudden both had heard a great smash from inside the bathroom, and were currently looking between the door and each other with increasing worry.

Harry then quickly walked over to the door, listening again, and hearing nothing - he took a step back for a moment. Raising his foot, he put all his weight into it towards the area surrounding the door knob, and successfuly kicked the door open. Hayward was close behind when the two carefully looked around the door, and were greeted with a shocking sight.

FBI Special Agent Dale Cooper lay flat on his back on the floor in front of the bathroom and the sink. The sink and the mirror above it were littered with broken glass, and blood. Cooper himself, meanwhile, was lying comfortably as if he had never left his bed. Safe for the fact a bloody wound covered his forehead, streaming down his face onto his dark blue pyjamas.

His eyes then snapped open, and he glanced to his right directly at the sheriff. He regarded Harry and Hayward with a wide, eerie smile.

"I slipped and hit my head on the mirror. The glass broke as it struck my head." To Harry, it was as if Cooper was commenting on the impressive Douglas Firs of the surrounding woods. Cooper then laughed. "It struck me as funny, Harry. Do you understand me, Harry, it struck me as funny."

There was an extended pause, until Hayward finally spoke in a stern tone. "You are going straight back to bed."

Both he and Harry then carefully tucked an arm under each of Cooper's shoulders and gently pulled him onto his feet.

To Harry's surprise, Cooper's expression seemed to soften as they pulled the battered FBI Agent towards the bathroom door.

Cooper glanced at his right towards Harry, a genuinely baffled expression on his face. It was like he almost didn't register the increasingly bloody wound on his forehead. "But… I haven't finished brushing my teeth yet." He then smiled at Harry with that same wide, eerie grin as before.

"Careful there, Harry. We'll have to sit him up"

Now out of the bathroom, Will let go off his grip on Cooper as Harry put Dale's right arm around the back of his shoulders. He was now entirely supporting Cooper's weight as Hayward quickly pulled back the covers of the bed.

Harry put Cooper down on the bed, while Hayward busied himself looking through his medical bag.

"We better make sure that damn wound isn't infected, and then I'm calling the hospital. What was he thinking?!"

Harry shook his head, as he pulls the covers up towards Cooper's chest. He grimaced as he noticed some of Cooper's blood staining the front of his own shirt.

Cooper was now squinting at him through the blood now streaming into his eyes.

"Wound? Woooouuuunnnnddd." It almost like Cooper was testing how the word sounded coming out of his own mouth. Cooper seemed to chuckle to himself for a moment, and he then gasped.

Grabbing Harry's wrist, Cooper suddenly pulled him close – his eyes wide. "Wound?! … Harry, I remember now! Windom Earle!"

Harry nodded, pulling off Cooper's wrist and then laying his hands on Cooper's shoulders, forcing his friend to relax on the pillows behind him.

"Take it easy, Coop! That's right, Windom Earle! Don't you remember…"

Cooper frowned, as Hayward unbuttoned the sleeve of his pyjamas and pulled the sleeve back towards the elbow. Harry could see the doctor preparing a syringe. Cooper didn't seem to pay the doctor any notice.

"I remember… Windom." Cooper muttered. "And he wounded me… and then… "

"… Caroline! He killed Caroline! Oh God, Harry, what have I done?!" Cooper cried. He then suddenly lunged forward, knocking the syringe out of Hayward's hand as he tried to throw off the covers of the bed.

Harry was having none of it, grabbing his friend by his shoulders and flinging him back onto the bed – the back of Cooper's head hitting the heading board with a load smack. Harry winced at the sound but kept his grip in place, should his friend tried to escape again.

Quickly taking advantage of Cooper's daze, Hayward then injected the contents of the syringe into the inside of Cooper's elbow. Harry felt the FBI Agent's body relax, and he was then out cold.

"My first inclination was to fix his wound, but I had to be careful he wouldn't try a stunt like that again…" Hayward explained, as he began sorting through the contents of his medical bag again.

Harry nodded slowly, watching as the blood continue to trickle down Cooper's face from the wound in his forehead. This certainly wasn't the Dale Cooper he was expecting to find when he returned from… wherever those red curtains had led to. The notion his friend had now seemed to have lost his mind – however temporary – disturbed Harry deeply. What if Cooper didn't recover fully enough to explain what had transpired beyond those red curtains? How had he rescued Annie? And what had become of Windom Earle? There had been no sight of the rogue FBI Agent since Cooper materialized with Annie at Glastonbury Grove. And the loss of Cooper, always the one with the clear-cut answers, always with a keen awareness of the higher order of things, would be a crushing defeat after all that had happened since Laura Palmer's murder.

And once again, Harry could not help but grimly note, with all the crises to engulf the town in the last two days that somehow the situation with Dale Cooper seemed to be at the center of it. It almost didn't seem fair, Cooper being the outsider and putting his life on the line for them all again and again, and yet remaining so deeply enraptured with the people and places of this town – despite all the horror that had visited it during his brief time here. "Heaven _is_ a large and interesting place, sir" Cooper had said to Judge Sternwood. _Too right, Coop. _

"I'll ring the hospital, Doc."

* * *

_The Red Room. The dwarf – who then dances to the melancholic tune of a lone cabaret singer. Bob looming before him with a nasty grin. Not uncommon sights in his dreams. And then Windom Earle – _

"_I wasn't sleeping." Dale Cooper's eyes snapped open, sitting up from his position on the black-and-white zigzag patterned floor. The images he had seen before his eyes were not abstract images of his dreams, but recent memories._

_Getting to his feet, Dale looked around at his surroundings of the room that red curtains lined on all four of it's sides._

_He looked around, surprised to find he was alone. Ever since he had entered what was – if not what he had expected the Black Lodge to be – then certainly the strange realm of his dream that revealed to him the clues to Laura Palmer's killer, where he had encountered several of the other-worldly spirits that had become so central to life in the town of Twin Peaks since he'd arrived. _

_Frowning to himself, he thought for a moment how long he had been alone in this particular room, but he had his suspicions that the passing of time had little meaning here in contrast to the 'real' world. Here, where had met the ancient spirits of the woods made manifest… and ghosts from his past. At long last coming to face with his old mentor, Windom Earle, hopelessly consumed by his own insanity. _

_Dale sat down in the chair, half-expecting, half-hoping the dwarf or something might appear on the couch – but nothing. Why was it getting so difficult to remember? Windom was here, he had made a promise… for…._

"_Annie." Dale muttered to himself, "How's Annie?" He recalled feeling a certain relief that she had been seemingly saved by way of Cooper surrendering his soul to Earle, but it was difficult to deduce what exactly this entailed to his status right now. No, Annie was safe, he realized. She has to be – he couldn't deal with the prospect he'd given his life for his girlfriend for nothing. Dale struggled to remain calm with a technique, but it was getting hard to focus in this eerily silent realm, not to mention his increasing panic and dread. He gripped the arms of his chair, struggling to remember. Something about the terms of Windom's deal…_

_Bob. Dale stood up, and turned around to face the curtained wall opposite him. Yes, Bob had appeared, and not at all pleased with Windom dishing out life and death in his realm. Then there was a man with Dale's face... that had registered to Dale as a sort of extension of Bob's power. The man like Dale, with those blank, cold eyes and eerie grin had then pursued him through the red curtains… through all these rooms… He wanted Dale, perhaps wanting to consume him – like Windom._

_And Dale had ran. Desperately seeking for a way out, somehow in this room he knew the surrounding sycamore trees of Glastonbury Grove lay beyond these curtains, where he hoped Annie would be awaiting with Harry Truman. His hands had almost breached the curtain, and then he felt a ferocious burning impact on his back, and mocking laughter and then followed by total darkness._

_Carefully, Dale reached up through the curtains and jumped when he felt a cold, hard marble wall instead of the exit._

"_No!" he cried, frantically parting the curtains to see the white marble lining this wall. He ran towards both sides of the room on his left and right, and found, once parting the curtains, the walls behind them were all the same._

"_Only one thing for it." he muttered to himself as he walked swiftly towards the wall opposite him. To his surprised, Dale then emerged into another corridor. As he slowly, hesitatingly, walked down the corridor, he suddenly became aware of noises in his immediate vicinity. And these were voices, but the words were unclear. Dale began to spin on the spot with increasingly franticness, it was difficult to pinpoint where these voices were coming from in his immediate vicinity. He then stopped, listening carefully. The voices – and words spoken by them – were clearer now. But no, these were not the spirits of the Black Lodge talking in their strange stilted speech, bur rather, voices from Cooper's past._

"_**Through the darkness of futures passed, the magician longs to see. One chants out between two worlds: Fire Walk With Me." **__It was the words of the one-armed man, Phillip Michael Gerrard – or Mike - from his dream. Mike continued,__** "We lived among the people. I think you would say… convenience store? We lived above it."**_

_Mike was then seemingly interrupted by another voice so familiar to Dale. The rambling words of a confused and tormented man called Phillip Jeffries, a once-lost FBI Agent who had materialized in Gordon Cole's office a year before Laura Palmer's murder. __**"… they were in a convenience store…"**_

_Mike's voice then seemed to continue without having noticed the interruption, but Dale recognised his words from another time. During when both he, Harry and Dale Cooper's superior, Gordon Cole, interrogated the man – or at least the troubled spirit within him – prior to identifying Laura Palmer's killer. __**"We went killing together", **__Mike explained, referring to Bob._

_Dale then heard his own voice, pressing Mike, __**"Where's Bob now?"**_

_Dale's own voice, could be heard again. It was almost like all these words from different points in his immediate past were complimenting each other. __**"II believe the Black Lodge to be the home of Bob."**_

_Harry Truman then speaking of dangers close to home, __**"… evil in these woods…" **_

_Deputy Tommy 'Hawk' Hill intoning a legend of his people, __**"But it is said, if you confront the Black Lodge with imperfect courage, it will annihilate your soul."**_

_Leland Palmer, crying, __**"He said he wanted lives, he wanted others! Others that they could use… like they used me!" **_

"_NO!", Dale cried, the words were now coming from his own lips. He felt his balance suddenly become unsteady. The words of the past continued to be heard, overlapping one another, seemingly ignorant of Dale Cooper's plea for them not to be true. It was almost like a broken record was playing. _

"_**Where's Bob now?" **_

"… _**so he could use them…."**_

"_**Just like what happened to you in Pittsburgh, huh, Cooper?!"**_

"… _**so he could use them… "**_

_Suddenly, the corridor darkened, and Cooper turned around to see a bright light suddenly shining at the end of the corridor. The Giant stood there, regarding Dale with a downcast and troubled expression. Strangely, he did not seem to talk in the stilted speech as before when he appeared alongside the dwarf. _

"_You did not pay great heed to my warning. Now, you will rightfully suffer the price."_

_A great anger rose up in Dale's throat. He had no patience for this sage-like being's vague words now. Especially not if the situation was a dire as Dale now suspected. "I couldn't let Annie die. Windom Earle was using her soul to open the gateway and seize the power of this place for himself." _

_The Giant shook his head slowly, "Your beloved was never in any danger. And your former friend, though he did not realize it, was merely seeking he who was once a part of him before. For trying to control this place, he also paid his own price. Your beloved was an innocent and pawn in his schemes, she did nothing wrong and was not desired by our mutual enemy then – she would have been returned to you. However, fear for her safety – and your own – when you arrived here opened up your mind and soul to a most determined evil."_

"_So, what you saying?" _

_The Giant seemed to pause for a moment, before continuing, "You already know. The one you call 'Bob' is now free in your world." He held up a hand before Cooper could say anything. "But do not feel guilt for your part in this. While he escaped his earthly vessel, it was always inevitable that Bob would return to your world to unleash pain and suffering on your kind once more. He was merely biding his time here, and growing in power after his previous defeat."_

"_So, he is in my body…" Cooper whispered. Desperate not to focus on the peril those close to him were now in, Cooper struggled to focus on his guide's presence, as limited as the Giant's time usually was. "What can I do?"_

"_Nothing you can do to help your loved ones in your world now. Already, a new path is being laid out before those who must now step up and recognize Bob for who he is. But there is a task you can do to help those who oppose Bob."_

_Cooper began breathing heavily. "That being?"_

"_Claim the arm and guard over she who cannot find her way home." the Giant said, and with that, he began to fade._

"_Wait! How can I know how my friends are dealing with Bob?" Dale cried, beginning to feel the overwhelming panic and disorientation threatening to consume him again. But the Giant had completely disappeared, and the corridor brightened again, bringing an eerie silence with it. Dale stood on the spot where the Giant had been. He was now alone, again. And with the horrific possibilities that awaited his friends now running through his mind, all Dale Cooper could do was begin to weep._


	2. Chapter One

Author's Notes: Plenty here, but much more of a set-up for the story ahead in this first proper chapter. With special thanks to Leslie, Naoko, Jonah, and Jerry Horne of ('Twin Peaks Archive') for all the kind reviews and comments! This chapter contains scenes and selected lines from the 'Fire Walk With Me' shooting script by David Lynch and Robert Engels.

Following the timeline of the show, and the slight jump forward in time as indicated below; this chapter takes place across the entirety of Tuesday, 28th March, 1989.

**"I have the clear, intuitive sense that there is much trouble ahead." - Major Garland Briggs, **_**Twin Peaks Episode 21**_

**CHAPTER ONE**

**Two Days Later**

A light, early-morning breeze stirred the trees surrounding the town as the sun came up.

Two jet-black sedan cars drove past the sign welcoming visitors to Twin Peaks. In the first one, Special Agent Albert Rosenfield was at the wheel, while FBI Bureau Chief Gordon Cole sat in the passenger's seat.

Twin Peaks High School was empty, the only sound breaking the eerie quiet the janitor jangling keys and opening doors to emit staff.

Norma Jennings stepped onto the floor of the Double R Diner, and reached for the apron on a nearby stove.

Over at Big Ed's Gas Farm, 'Big Ed' Hurley prepped the gas tanks for the morning traffic that usually came his way.

At the Sheriff's Station, Lucy Moran smiled to herself as she prepped the variety of doughnuts on the kitchen counter. Nearby, there was a 'click' to indicate the coffee pot had boiled.

While at the Great Northern hotel reception, Louie greeted the patrons walking by her as they walked through the lobby on the way to the breakfast room.

And then at Calhoun Memorial Hospital the morning light shown through the blinds of the window of room 229 on the second floor, the beams hitting the sleeping figure in the room's lone bed. Dale Cooper then stirred, and his eyes slowly opened. Staring up at the ceiling, he gave a wide grin to no-one in particular.

* * *

Audrey Horne sniffed the air, and she then conceded defeat. Sleep had defeated her for much of the night, and just when she had finally drifted off, the nurse tending to her had arrived with breakfast.

_If it was anything like dinner last night_, Audrey realised, sitting up in her bed as she recalled the first meal she had since she awoke from her coma. Wrinkling her nose, she sat up in the bed and leaned over to her right to look at the tray. She lifted up the lid, and instantly slammed it down in revulsion. Lifting it up again, she peered underneath to see the tray was littered with varying colours of goop. _They think this is healthy_?!

She signed, putting the lid back onto the tray and leaning back onto the pillows. She tried not to think of what scrumptious breakfasts the chefs would no doubt be conjuring up back at the Great Northern. _They are probably even attacking an inquisitive uncle Jerry with the longest carving knife right now_, she grinned at the amusing image as she then looked towards the window. But she then jumped.

Currently sitting in a chair by the window in the corner of a room was a suited figure bathed in shadow. Audrey began to cry out, but the person, suddenly alerted to her realising he was there stood up, and stepped towards the bed...

"Daddy?!" Audrey said, as her father smiled at her, and walked over to open the blinds. She then winced as the light shone into the room. Her father walked to the bed, and leaned over and kissed her on the forehead, and then took a seat by her side.

"And how are you this morning, sweetheart?"

She nodded, "I'm fine, but… why are you here so early?"

Ben shrugged. "I couldn't sleep not long after your mother and Jerry left, and I cleared it up with the nurse could I stay."

"All night?"

Ben nodded, and took her hand. He squeezed it tightly. They smiled at each other.

She wondered would her father be more willing to talk now. Her mother, brother, and uncle Jerry had visited her yesterday evening not long after she emerged from her brief coma. Her father too, had arrived down from his room, but mostly kept silent after his tearful reunion with her; and stood back as her mother bombarded with inquiries. It was hard not to notice her parents were pointedly ignoring each other.

"Oh, it's a miracle you survived…" her father shook his head to himself as he continually rubbed his fingers over her hand.

This much was true. The mysterious explosion that had ripped through Twin Peaks Savings and Loan had incredibly barely left Audrey any long-term damage. There was still a faint ringing in her ears, but having handcuffed herself to the vault door, the explosion had flung the door of it's hinges – instantly snapping the chains of Audrey's handcuffs. As far as the rescuers could ascertain, Audrey had been thrown across the room into the banks clerks' desks and instantly knocked unconscious.

There was a nasty bruise above her left eyebrow, and a deep gash on his right arm, (where a large splinter from a shattered desk had to be removed). As far as could be gathered from the firemen, Audrey had been protected from the flames triggered by the blast by way the partly collapsing roof shielding her. They had just reached her in time before the roof completely fell on top of her.

To think she had been at the heart of such random chaos and not remember it...

But in the face of her father's obvious relief at her recovery, Audrey quickly pushed such thoughts aside. She squeezed his hand. "It was a random act of fate, Daddy. I was there for you, to help with the Ghostwood campaign."

But Audrey quickly realised her father's expression worsened. He rolled his eyes to himself, "Oh yes, my oh-so-noble quest to 'do good'... and what a stumbling block the whole Ghostwood issue has been. And to think you might have become a martyr for - "

Audrey put her other hand over his, clasping Ben's hand between both of hers. "You can't keep thinking like that." She smiled. "What matters is I'm okay now, you can't think for a second the bank explosion was anything to do with you."

Ben tried to smile. "All right, Audrey. If only you mother..." He shook his head.

"I'll worry about Mom. How... are you two anyway?" She put the last question as delicately as she could. She decided that maybe it was best not to press him on the matter of Donna Hayward right now.

Ben shook his head, staring into space. "Oh, I hear she's making plenty of noises up at the hotel. According to your uncle, your mother is now looking to take a direct role in the running of the hotel." He then cast his eyes over her food tray. "Speaking of which - "

Ben then got up and walked to the other side of Audrey's bed. Lifting up the lid, he carefully dipped his forefinger in one of the bowls of food and smacked his lips before tasting the substance.

Audrey giggled at the luck of utter revulsion on her father's face as he slammed down the lid of the tray.

"Well, that settles it", Ben said, getting up to leave. "I'll make sure Jerry sends our head chef, Claude, down with the finest breakfast. My daughter cannot eat something that looks like it was scrapped from a sewer."

He kissed Audrey on the forehead, and headed for the door. Ben then smiled before turning around to face her.

"The nurses didn't want you to get too over-excited yesterday, but I received a call from an old friend there regarding your welfare."

"Oh?" Audrey felt her heart start to quicken.

"Yes," Ben replied. "He's a lot to deal with in Brazil at the moment, but Jack said try his best to fly in sometime in the next week."

Audrey sighed dreamily as she lay back on her pillow, thinking of the man who had captured her heart in so short a time. John Justice Wheeler, the dashing, charming protégé of her father's. But suddenly it was her last memory of Jack that reminded her of someone else. A man with whom she had struck a sudden, though fond friendship with when she raced to see John for what she feared would be the last time. She called out to her father just as he passed through the doorway of the room.

"Daddy? How's Pete Martell?"

* * *

"What are his prospects?"

"Well, your husband is still showing some slight brain activity, but it's still too early to tell."

Catherine Martell looked down on her husband in the bed, hooked to the life supporting machine at this side. Catherine couldn't be sure exactly what the read-outs on the machine meant exactly, but they seemed to fit with Doctor William Hayward's prognosis.

"Tell it to me straight, Doctor."

Hayward sighed, gently laying a hand on her shoulder. "I knew I shouldn't have tried to sugar-coat it with you, Catherine, but it has to be said we've done all we can. There's a specialist upstate we can get down here in the next few days, but he's - "

"I don't care about the money," Catherine interjected. "It's not an issue."

Hayward smiled sadly. "I'll make the call. I'll leave you too alone, then."

"Thank you, Will."

When the doctor left, Catherine reached over and laid a hand on Pete's forehead. She brushed a thumb over his singed eyebrows, and tried to stifle a laugh at Pete's inevitably bemused expression when he looked in the mirror and realised his eyebrows were nearly gone.

"Oh, my - " She reached into her pocket, and dabbed at her eyes with a handkerchief.

Lucky for her husband he had only suffered only the near-loss of his eyebrows, broken bones, and some first-degree burns that could be easily corrected by way of surgery. Judging from the reports from what had been found in the rubble of the Twin Peaks Savings and Loan, the unidentified body found seemed to match that of her brother Andrew.

Not that she would be rushing to the authorities to tell them of Andrew's miraculous survival from his supposed murder two years before. The full extent of Thomas Eckhardt's revenge for his former partner would be complete if it was discovered Catherine and Andrew directly manipulated events to bring about Josie and Eckhardt's deaths.

And it would certainly do her no good if Sheriff Truman were to pursue that line of inquiry.

"You know, Pete, it's strangely fitting you survived and Andrew didn't. He was always so very fond of you, it would have devastated him. You know he never wanted me to marry you? He always carried so much of our father's keen sense of history, Andrew felt us Packards had humiliated the poor Martells enough down through the decades without marrying them into our family. But we didn't listen did we, Pete? Defied both our parents' wishes. But marriage really did kil our mischievous streak..."

She then paused. Getting increasingly frustrated at the one-sided conversation, and trying to quell the grief for her brother welling up inside her, Catherine turned away from Pete's bedside. She then looked down on him one more time before gently kissing his forehead. Just as she stepped out into the corridor, she heard Hayward in discussion with a familiar voice.

"Well, Ben, I'm glad to see you're on the mend and set to go. I also hear Audrey's doing pretty well, Doctor Dunham tells me she should be discharged by tomorrow evening."

"Touching, Will. Touching that your show such deep concern for my and my family's welfare. It's a shame you didn't take either into account when you swung that punch the other night. False pleasantries aren't why I've tracked you down"

"Ben, I - "

"My brother has a point, Doctor! I've been at his bedside night and day since I came back to town, and it doesn't take the finest medical staff in the state to see he's suffering a very painful and numbing trauma!"

Hayward's shoulders sagged, and he turned away from the two Horne brothers towards Catherine. It was then Catherine noticed Hayward was clutching a piece of paper and an open envelope in his right hand.

Before continuing down the corridor, Hayward glanced back at Ben, "If you'll excuse me, I have other patients. My attorney will get back to you in the morning." Judging from the look on the doctor's face, Catherine was again struck by the likelihood Hayward had got little sleep these last few nights.

Ben gave his younger brother a satisfied smirk as Catherine walked up them.

"Terrorizing the kindly medical staff, Benjamin? And here I thought you bled for the town and it's people."

Ben rolled his eyes, letting out a mock sigh, "No, it's the town as a whole I fear for, my dear. And especially if the Ghostwood estates lay waste to our woodlands. Such a shame there's a vacuum in the town's economy with the Mill gone, and all that unemployment. Surely a better investment in the long-term. If only there was someone, who with a flick of pen, could bring it all back."

"Cut it with all the smarmy double-talk, I'm no randy perfume desk clerk!" Catherine was almost surprised at her outburst as the brothers Horne were, but she had little time for her and Ben's mind games right now.

Ben glowered at her, and Catherine leaned closer to him to whisper more. Jerry kept looking uneasily between the two of them.

"Oh yes, seems behind Josie left behind some fascinating documentation relating to your business; particularly regarding the work of the late Emory Bates at your department store. Documentation I'm sure the local authorities would love to hear about the town's most beloved philanthropist."

Ben sneered, but it quickly passed when he seemed to realise something. "Say Jer, speaking of wild rumor... it would appear the dead have begun to rise - " he waged a finger at Catherine to emphasise his point, " - and one of Twin Peaks' favourite sons in fact."

Catherine raised her eyebrows, easily maintaining her cool. "That being?"

"Why, your dear brother Andrew... though I wouldn't be one to believe the ramblings of Del Mibbler." Ben then chuckled. "But my daughter seems to recall a startling description of the man with Pete shortly before the bank exploded, which she is sure to make Sheriff Truman very interested."

Jerry let out a laugh, and turned to his brother, ignoring Catherine. "Wow, Ben! Wouldn't it be something if all turned out to be true?"

"Indeed, Jer. And let us entertain this thought further, shall we? If Andrew was still alive these last two years, it would answer the long-standing mystery as to... what happened to his finances? Lucky his poor widow had some kindly friends in Hong Kong to get her by. Because if you recall Jer, Andrew ran the mill before Josie, having inherited it from his own father." As he finished talking, Ben removed a carrot from his pocket. He chewed on it for a moment, and frowning with distaste, he tossed it in the garbage bin beside them. He brushed off his hands, and grinned at Jerry, and then both the brothers Horne regarded her with similar all-knowing smiles.

Jerry chuckled. "I think I see what you mean, Ben! If Andrew Packard was really still alive, it would explain where all his vast fortune went! And if he's now, if rumour is to be believed, truly dead..."

Ben nodded in the direction of Catherine. "... Catherine here is next in line to be his heir. A vast sum I would imagine! But tell me, would such money go towards the re-building of the saw mill? It would certainly be a great boon to the local community, and quite a morale booster after all the disaster visited upon us these last two months. Or would Catherine use it to pay contractors for the Ghostwood Estates?"

Catherine laughed, shaking her head at the pair. "Listen to you two putting all the pieces together! You're like the Hardy boys! And honestly, Ben, my brother alive? ...That must have been some blow to the head to be conjuring up such bizarre notions."

Ben tapped the bandage on his forehead. "Bizarre notions, no, but perhaps I've gained a certain clairvoyance we could say! We'll all be watching very carefully, Catherine."

"Likewise, my dear Benjamin." Catherine replied, before turning on her heel and walking in the opposite direction without saying another word to them. But Ben couldn't help but get in the last word.

"Oh, and don't forget to send dear Pete our best! My daughter's doing fine by the way..."

* * *

Harry looked up from the paperwork on his desk as Deputy Hawk walked into his office.

"Just back from the Johnsons, lucky I managed to catch Shelley on her day off from the Double R. She knew it was about Leo when she saw the look on my face." He then added, "Naturally, I've informed the other deputies we've ended her 24-hour protection."

Harry smiled grimly. "What do you think? How did she take it?"

"Honestly, I think Andy was more cut up about it." Hawk then paused, his eyes taking on a distant look. "But still, if she had seen it happen... Earle was a cruel master of torture."

Though Leo's death had been beyond his control, it was clear the criminal's death still weighed heavily on Hawk's mind. Harry had assured him he should have no qualms about his actions on the night Cooper had reappeared at Glastonbury Grove, how could they have been sure Earle was not hiding in the cabin? As near as could be gathered, there was no obvious way then to save Leo from the horrible trap Earle had created.

Harry nodded, quickly pressing on, "Coop'll have no argument with you on that."

"What the latest on his condition?"

"Well, just off the phone with Doc Hayward up at Calhoun, Cooper's awake and sitting up in his bed. Complaining about the food service though, I hear he insisted Norma send him up the largest breakfast order she's got in a while." Harry chuckled.

"When can he have visitors?"

Harry felt the way his deputy intoned the question, he knew the answer himself. Harry shook his head. "We're not authorized to talk to him yet until Cole runs a full investigation."

"Well, we got a full plate in the meantime." Hawk nodded, clearly as increasingly unhappy as Harry himself felt. "Speaking of Hayward, when do you want to question him further over the assault on Ben Horne?"

Harry sighed. "Might be difficult, but I'd like to delay that as much as possible; we have the statement of everyone else present at the incident but I still owe Will for dropping everything the night Coop came back from... But, knowing Ben Horne, we can't let it rest. I'll give it another day."

"Cole arrived yet?"

Harry reached into the paperwork on his desk to remove a folder from one of the piles as he rubbed the other hand through his hair. "Not yet, but the latest is in from the investigation down at the Savings and Loan. The last body is still unidentified, but with Audrey Horne the only survivor fully alert I'll question her tomorrow." Harry smiled, again trying to lighten the mood. "And y'know, still no indication has to how Del Mibbler stumbled intact from the wreckage halfway across town to the Gazette looking for Dwayne Millford Junior."

Hawk nodded, smiling slighty. "That's Del, hear the poor guy was so mixed up he wanted to tell Dwayne a pine weasel had handcuffed itself to the water cooler."

Suddenly, Harry and Hawk both jumped as a familiar voice run out near Lucy's reception desk.

"AND, A GOOD MORNING TO YOU, LITTLE LADY! HOPE YOU GOT ONE OF YOUR MARVELOUS POTS O'JOE A-BREWING, LUCY, I'VE GOT A WHOLE CONVENTION IN TOW!"

Harry glanced up at Hawk, and saw his deputy fixing the intercom with a pained expression. Sure enough, Harry's desk intercom then sounded. "Yes, Lucy?"

"Gordon Cole has just arrived Sheriff." She sounded a bit weary. "And so have Albert Rosenfield and two other people I've never seen before. One is dressed like Agent Cooper, and it looks like there's a woman with them!" She seemed awed, "Do you really have woman agents in the FBI?"

Harry was sure he could hear Albert Rosenfield muttering something in response, followed by the usual 'WHAT'S THAT?' from Gordon Cole. "Just send 'em in, Lucy."

"Right, Sheriff." Lucy seemed a bit put-off. Harry guessed whatever Albert said had been unpleasant.

The door to Harry's office swung open, and the beaming figure of FBI Bureau Chief Gordon Cole strode in, holding out his hand as he walked towards Harry's desk. Behind him was Albert Rosenfield and what Harry was assumed were two FBI agents, both wearing typical dark suits and shades. (Save the female wore a black skirt). Beyond a brief glance around the room, their expressions were unreadable.

"NICE TO SEE YOU AGAIN, HARRY!", Cole boomed, as the pair shook hands, "BOY, POOR DALE ALWAYS GETS THE WORST OF IT, DON'T HE? REST ASSURED, WE GOT OUR BEST SPECIALIST FLYING IN TOMORROW TO GIVE HIM THE ONCE-OVER! A CUTE LITTLE NUMBER SHE IS TOO, DID WONDERS FOR ME WHEN MY BACK GAVE OUT! TERRIBLE THING YOU KNOW! LEANING OVER TO PICK UP THAT NEW INDUSTRIAL STRESS BALL THE MISSUS GAVE ME! THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN – WHAMO!" – here, Gordon gestured in a animated fashion with his out-stretched hands - "NOT THAT IT'S NOT ENOUGH STRESS THEN BEING STUCK AT HOME FOR A WEEK WITH THE OL' BALL AND CHAIN LOOKING AFTER YOU, WOULDN'T YOU SAY?"

All Harry decided to do was give Gordon a fixed smile as he slunk back down into his chair. Albert Rosenfield had already taken a seat in front of his desk, nodding in greeting, and regarding Harry with an expression that said 'How do you think I've felt these last few hours'. Gordon, meanwhile, had moved over to Hawk. Hawk shook his hand feebly.

"AH, DEPUTY HAWK! I TELL YOU SHERIFF, IT'S A GREAT DAY WHEN OUR STATE INSTIUTIONS FINALLY START TAKING ON BOARD OUR NATIVE AMERICAN FRIENDS! I DON'T NEED TELL YOU DEPUTY IT'S A MONUMENTAL INJUSTICE WHAT WE'VE DONE TO YOUR PEOPLE! SEEING A FINE YOUNG FELLAR LIKE YOURSELF ROAMING THESE HALLS DOES WONDERS FOR SOCIAL PROGRESS! MIGHT DO WELL DO PROMOTE SUCH A RADICAL ATTITUDE BACK AT THE BUREAU, MYSELF!"

Hawk looked at bit bemused by Gordon's thoughts on his job, but merely nodded back and continued to stand where he was. Gordon then took a seat beside Albert. The two other agents remained standing. Albert seemed to notice Harry's intrigued expression as he looked at the other two.

Albert sighed. Harry thought he sounded a little hoarse. "I THINK THE SHERIFF'S A BIT CURIOUS AS TO OUR CURRENT COMPANY, CHIEF!"

"YES, I THOUGHT HE MIGHT BE, ALBERT!"

Harry leaned forward in his chair. "I thought you might come down and check on Agent Cooper, Gordon, but why exactly are there more agents here?"

Gordon shook his head, fiddling with the dials on his hearing aid. "HARDLY THE TIME TO ASK DO I WANT TO POP OUT FOR A BEER, HARRY, BUT WE'RE ACTUALLY NOT DOWN IN THESE PARTS JUST TO CHECK ON POOR COOP. IN FACT, YOU MIGHT BE SEEING MORE OF US FOR SOMETIME."

Harry looked from Gordon to Albert, and back to Gordon again. "Can you… I'm sorry, CAN YOU A BE A BIT MORE SPECIFIC?"

Gordon pointed a finger at him in acknowledgement. "RIGHT! SURE THING, SHERIFF!" Gordon nodded towards Albert, who was shuffling through his briefcase. Albert then removed a folder, and leaned over to the desk.

Harry took it in his hand as Hawk moved around the desk to get a closer look.

"NEW ORDERS FROM THE BOYS UPSTAIRS! WE'RE TALKING WAY UP BEYOND ME AND MY DEPARTMENT!" Cole explained, "AS SUCH, WE WILL BE NEEDING YOUR FULL, TOTAL AND COMPLETE CO-OPERATION IN THIS MATTER, SHERIFF! YOUR OFFICE WILL BE SOON BE DELIVERED ORDERS FROM ON-HIGH! MOST OF MY AGENTS ARE NOW HEADED TO TWIN PEAKS, DIVIDING THEIR TIME BETWEEN HERE AND OREGON!"

Here, Hawk finally spoke. "Why, um... WHY OREGON?"

Cole shook his head, "SORRY, CAN'T SAY ANYMORE, DEPUTY! REAL TOP SECRET STUFF, HUSH HUSH!"

Harry shifted through the various papers, and frowned. He held up a document, which had most of it's text blacked out.

"STANDARD WHEN DEALING WITH CLASSIFIED INFORMATION, SHERIFF! CERTAIN INFORMATION MY SUPERIORS WOULD BE MOST UNHAPPY GOT OUT TO OTHER LAW INFORCEMENT AGENCIES, INCLUDING YOUR OWN CORNER OF THE WORLD! TELL HIM, ALBERT!"

Albert explained, "He's right. Also, most of our team have already arrived at Glastonbury Grove, and setting up a cordon around the circle of sycamores in what those documents describe as a strictly classified operation. While your report into Annie Blackburn's abduction and miraculous rescue was certainly... colourful, it's caused enough of a ripple in our department to swiftly bring about a clampdown on the Glastonbury Grove site, and a study into the area. Our agents are also here in town to interview the townspeople on some of the more... strange sightings and phenomena down through the years."

"And you think this is all linked to what Agent Cooper might have seen behind those red curtains?"

Here, Cole interjected, "YOU MIGHT BE THINKING WE'RE TRYING TO TIE ALL THIS INTO THE ACTIVITY AT GLASTONBURY GROVE, BUT WE REALLY CAN'T SAY ANYMORE! WE'LL ALSO BE WORKING CLOSELY WITH THE AIR FORCE BASE UNDER COLONEL REILLY STATIONED OVER IN THE WOODS!"

"Major Briggs?"

Albert nodded, "We hope to bring him in on this, once his superiors think he's fit to return to full-time duty after his abduction."

Harry narrowed his eyes, "He's a big part of this too though, isn't he? There's his disappearance in the woods that was never truly solved as to where he went, or how he even got back."

Cole and Albert glanced at each other. "YOU'RE A SHARP ONE, HARRY! SEE WHY COOP ALWAYS VALUED YOUR HELP ON THESE THINGS! BUT THERE'S SOMETHING ELSE YOU CAN DO FOR US MORE SUITED TO YOUR LOCAL EXPERTISE."

Harry looked between the two. "That being?"

"Windom Earle." Albert flatly stated. "Cooper and Miss Blackburn seem to be in one piece, but not a single trace of Earle has been seen since shortly after the local fright parade."

"Miss Twin Peaks Contest."

Albert looked up at Hawk in response to the deputy's clarification, and gave him a sarcastic grin. "Gotcha. Anyway... I'll be heading up the investigation into Earle's disappearance in place of Agent Cooper, and working closely with you, Harry, due to my familiarity with the area and the case in question. I'm also under orders to interview you and some of your deputies in relation to our department's work at Glastonbury Grove."

"ALBERT'S ALSO UNDER ORDERS TO INTERVIEW YOU AND YOUR DEPUTIES IN RELATION TO WHAT WE'RE DOING IN THE WOODS!"

Harry narrowed his eyes at Albert, ignoring Cole. He was getting more uncomfortable with these arrangements with each passing moment. "And how do we fit in?"

"Specifically your work with Agent Cooper in not only the Laura Palmer investigation, but the other recent investigations, namely... that involving the late Josie Packard."

That did it. Harry could see Hawk looking at him warily out of the corner of his eye, but Harry remained his composure. He looked down at the files on his desk. "I understand."

Cole then suddenly clapped his hands and stood up. He clicked his fingers to the two other agents, who nodded, and left the room as silently as they entered.

"WELL, EVERYONE SEEMS HAPPY SO BEST I'LL LEAVE YOU TO YOUR DEALINGS WITH AGENT ROSENFIELD THEN, SHERIFF!" Cole shook Harry and Hawk's hand, and then nodded to Albert. "I'LL BE SEEING YOU FELLAS!" With final thumbs up, the door slammed after him, and all three relaxed a little when they heard Cole leave as he boomed a goodbye to Lucy.

Albert shut his briefcase, and also stood up to leave. "Well, I know it's a lot to take in Harry so guess I'll get settled up at the rat den by the Falls for the evening and see you in the morning."

Harry finally looked up, "How am I, and my deputies, expected to adequately enforce the law around town with your agents stepping all over us?"

Albert seemed genuinely surprised at the question, "We'll stay out of your way, trust me. After all, chasing little lost kittens up trees, speeches on community vigilance to old ladies' sewing circles, and your offices' considerable consumption of the fine cuisine and brew of the local diner is a bit out of Bureau jurisdiction."

Harry instantly bolted up out of his chair, "Albert! I told you before to watch that kinda talk in my station! I was always willing to hear Cooper out on Bureau matters, but at least he had the proper way to go about treating folks! You keep talking down to us like that you can take your Bureau co-operation, and shove it!"

A few tense seconds passed, and it seemed Albert was fighting back the urge to respond with another sarcastic jibe. There was no Cooper to keep the peace now. For Harry's sake - and more his own, Harry guessed - Albert kept silent. "I'll be here at 10. You're first up for the interview, Sheriff. Deputy Hawk, I'll begin co-ordinating a wider search effort for Windom Earle with you and several deputies tomorrow. Good morning, gentlemen."

He walked out, slamming the door behind him. Harry looked over at Hawk.

His deputy was quickly forthcoming, "This is not going to end well. The woods are more restless since Cooper returned, and the spirits there are especially not going to take well to more intruders."

Harry shook his head. "Y'know Hawk, I hate being right, and I never guessed I'd be this right, but I knew the day we found her dead, that nothing would be the same when we found out why Laura Palmer died. Bob... the Black Lodge... the woods. Isn't it something? It just all goes back to those woods."

* * *

Out of the corner of her eye, Annie Blackburn could see her boyfriend Dale Cooper carefully walk towards Annie's bedside, where she and her sister Norma were currently engaging in conversation. "Hey. How you feeling?"

Annie looked up and smiled at him, "Better. My stomach feels like it's gonna squeeze out my toes."

Norma Jennings laughed as she stood up from her chair. "That would be the food around here. It tends to be more of a health hazard then what you might actually have when you're admitted."

Cooper frowned, "Norma, you don't have to leave on my account. If you and Annie would rather -"

Norma gave him a smile that seemed rather strained. "No, I had Heidi covering my shift at the Double R at the last minute. I headed straight over when the doctors told me Annie was awake."

Annie laid a hand on her older sister's arm. "And don't forget?"

"On my next visit, two freshly baked cherry pies. Yes." Norma kissed her sister on the forehead. "I'll see you later."

"Seeya Norma!" Cooper waved at her as she walked through the door, but she didn't reply.

Cooper sighed as he shook his head. "I know she blames me. And maybe she's right to. Maybe everyone is."

Annie sat up, and pulled on his arm. "Hey, Norma's just been hearing the rumours around town. A lot's happened in the last two days."

Cooper sat on her bed, and kicked off his slippers. He lay on the bed beside her.

He sighed, "A respected member of the community is nearly killed in an assault by a man whose never committed a crime in his life… a mysterious explosion destroys the town's Savings and Loan placing people I've come to care about in jeopardy… and the one I've come to care for most is abducted by my former partner."

"Windom Earle?"

Cooper looked at her, "How did you – "

"He told me his name. I'd forgotten it until I read today's edition." She indicated to the folded up newspaper on her bedside locker. "Norma had been leaving copies of the Gazette with me. I used to be a real newspaper nut when I was younger. Always saving copies and cutting out the most interesting articles and putting them in a scrapbook. I never gave that up."

Cooper grinned at her. "Windows into worlds you thought you'd never know."

Annie nodded, "True. But they never told me much about people, their feelings for each other, how they think, why they react the way they do…"

"Annie, I – "

"Just listen. In the covenant, we learnt secrets can be harmful. Not exactly the most revealing advice, but also that secrets can become uncontrolled inside your heart, spreading out, choking your relationships with your friends, family... those you love."

"I don't have any secrets." he whispered.

Annie leaned in closer to him, her forehead on his. "Maybe not. But there's still plenty we don't know about each other."

She held up her right wrist. "You know when this happened? I loved a boy in my senior year with all my heart… I lost my virginity to him. He left town, and never answered any of my letters even though he told me he loved me too."

"Oh, Annie…" Cooper pulled her close for a brief kiss.

When they broke off, there was a pause. He looked away from her, and pursed his lips for a moment. He then turned back to her.

"My former partner, Windom Earle, had a wife. Her name was Caroline. She was a witness to a federal crime that was never solved... "

* * *

Two floors down, Audrey was strolling along the corridor, wearing a thoroughly bored expression. She ran her forefinger along the walls, and spotted a water fountain ahead.

The doctors told her she would be here for another day at least, and Audrey wouldn't be surprised to find herself to the brink of near-insanity if she didn't get out of here soon. Pete Martell was still alive, but in a coma – with the possibility of never awakening. And though she had frequent visitors in her father, and just now, her mother (never at the same time), there was near-nothing to do around here.

There was someone else she could always pay a visit to though… her Special Agent. Her saviour from the clutches of Jean Renault at One-Eyed Jacks. It surprised even her, how she and Agent Cooper drifted apart after sharing so much together since he came to town. Even if she had no chance (and there was certainly no secret made of his liaison with Annie Blackburn), there was no harm in them becoming better friends…

Audrey then pressed the tap, and leaned in to take a sup of water.

"I know you doubt me. So many do."

Audrey choked on her water, and looked up to see Margaret Lanterman, otherwise known as 'the Log Lady' standing to her right.

As far as she could recall, Audrey had had never any direct dealings with the Log Lady - but knew enough of her reputation to think of her as a local crazy. Nevertheless, she was feeling increasingly intimidated as the Log Lady's seemed to look right through her from behind those thick lens.

Audrey wiped the water from her mouth with the back of her hand, before speaking. "Um, can I help you Mrs. Lanterman?"

The Log Lady then finally looked away, narrowing her eyes as she put her hand to the log tucked under her arm. There was a small pause, and the Log Lady looked up at Audrey. Where before she seemed disapproving of Audrey, now, she seemed friendlier.

"The time is coming," she said.

"And uh... what time is that?" Audrey asked, suddenly feeling more than a little stupid.

The Log Lady again looked disapproving, but continued without answering her question: "The circle must be broken." She said each word with increasing reverence. "They must be rid of the one that binds them to this world. Soon, they will call out to you. My log told me this." She then removed her hand from the log, and turned away from Audrey without another word.

Audrey stood there dumbfounded for a few moments. Her natural instinct was to laugh at the Log Lady's words, but there was in something in how Margaret implied Audrey herself would be of great importance to someone soon…

"Hey! Wait!"

Audrey raced towards the end of the corridor just as the Log Lady turned the corner. However, once Audrey turned that same corner almost two seconds later, the Log Lady was nowhere to be seen.

* * *

"Deputy Hawk said it was over, pretty quick. There was nothing they could do for him."

"Man that is whacked! What a way to go, Leo."

Shelley Johnson was curled into Bobby Briggs' lap on an armchair in the living room of the Johnson household. She had just related to her boyfriend the story of Deputy Hawk's visit this afternoon.

Bobby frowned, "And who was that Windom Earle guy, anyway? The Gazette wasn't saying much, except he was the same guy responsible for all that trouble at the contest." Bobby then clicked the fingers of his right hand, (the left arm was curled around her waist), and punched the arm of the chair. "You know what? He must have been that jerk who hit Mike with the log!"

Shelley didn't react to this realization, and merely shrugged, staring into space. "Hawk said he was some guy who used to be in the FBI. He was looking for something in Twin Peaks, but they didn't say. Apparently it's classified."

"Y'know, I did hear my Mom asking Dad about all those Feds we've been coming into town. There's something big going down in those woods. Probably still looking for 'im."

Shelley said nothing, and merely continued staring at the ground. Bobby shook her a little.

"Hey, what's wrong?" he asked, "Thought you'd be over the moon that soap-swinging, wife-beating knucklehead was pushing daises!"

Shelley scolded, getting up out of Bobby's lap and walking to the other side of the room. She folded her arms, and just looked at the wall straight ahead of her.

"It's not that, Bobby! I am, but…" she shook her head. "… even when he's gone, it's like he always this creepy hold over everything I do. Now, I gotta plan a funeral, and make arrangements to bury him! Who else is going to do that?"

Bobby walked over to her, putting his hands on her shoulders. "Hey, Bobby here's, baby… you don't have to face anything on your own with me around. Ever again."

She turned around to face her boyfriend, and he grinned at her as he lay a finger on her chin and pulled her in for a kiss. When they parted, he could see tears forming in her eyes.

"I can't live here, anymore.", she said. "Too many memories… too many ghosts. And I should get a good price if I sell it. Just too bad he never got to finish the renovation."

"Where are you gonna go? Norma's?"

"I can't ask Norma, she has Annie to worry about." Shelley then smiled at him hopefully.

Bobby's eyes widened. He pointed a thumb at his chest. He replied to her unspoken question in a highly bewildered tone. "You mean... my place?! I don't know Shelley, I told you my old man didn't sound too happy at the idea of us seeing each other the other night, what about up at the Great Northern? I'm sure Mr. Horne will give you a reduced rate on one of the rooms, being my girlfriend and all."

Shelley rolled her eyes. "I can't live in a hotel, Bobby." She brushed his arm gently. "Couldn't you just ask? It would only be for a few days 'till I find a small place of my own in the town somewhere." She then shrugged. "And if your Dad is that unhappy about it, I don't mind sleeping in another room."

Bobby sighed, but he was smiling at her. "You wanna live with my family? ...You drive me completely crazy, you know that? Now, I'll have to live with that – and my crazier parents!"

Shelley laughed as she gave him a soft punch to the arm.

Bobby pretended to look hurt, but he was also laughing. "OW! Kidding. Geez..."

* * *

Will Hayward sighed as he walked in the front door of the home in which his family resided.

"I'm home!" his voice rung up through the quiet household that greeted him. He took his hat and coat off, and hung them on a nearby coat stand.

He walked into the living room, where he was surprised to find his wife Eileen sitting off to one-side in her wheelchair and a book open on her lap. She did not look up.

"Eileen? Where's Harriet and Gersten?"

Eileen glanced up at him, her face impassive. "Over at the Beaumonts, helping their boys with their homework. You know those girls and their crushes. They actually just called to say they're having dinner there."

"Dammit Eileen! What about for us? I thought we agreed to have family dinner tonight. I want to explain to them what happened with Ben, and why their big sister is not coming home."

His wife did not meet his eyes, clearly not wanting an argument. She kept her eyes focused on her book. "Well, they changed their minds. I found some diet lasagne in the fridge. You can heat it up. There was nothing else, I'll have to go to the store tomorrow."

"Are you having anything?"

"I'm not hungry. You can help yourself."

Will stared at her for a few moments, hoping to catch Eileen's eye. Though he knew today wouldn't be the right time to mention Ben Horne's lawsuit with this kind of tension between them. He sighed again, shaking his head as he turned his back on his wife and made his way to the kitchen.

* * *

"Heya, darling."

Norma Jennings looked up from her empty coffee mug to watch her high-school sweetheart 'Big Ed' Hurley walk towards from the doors of the Double R Diner. Norma merely smiled in greeting as Ed sat across her in the booth.

She stared at Ed, and hesitated, looking to the table again. "How's Nadine?"

"Dr. Jacoby said she'd be nearly back to normal soon. She's been having relapses since the Contest. One minute she's screaming for Mike the next she just keeps babbling about her drape runners." He tried to laugh at the last point, but failed.

There was a brief pause, before he said, "And Annie?"

Norma looked down at her coffee mug again, swirling the small contents at the bottom to the right and left. "She seems better. Eager to get back to work though, despite my thinking it's too soon."

"That's you Blackburn girls. You do as you please, and damn what anyone else thinks. Heck, I don't reckon you'd be owner of the Double R if you didn't go out into the world with that attitude."

Norma shrugged. "I remember the first day walking through those doors after Mrs. Coulson handed me over the keys." Norma also remembered it being at the end of the first month of her marriage to Hank, when she tried her best to make it work and begin a fresh, new start as owner of the Double R. Her parents didn't approve, but she could always count on Ed and his comforting words in those troublesome first few weeks. "Maybe you're right about us doing what we please, and I have something to be thankful to Vivian for."

Clearly realising her mother was still a sore subject, Ed nodded to her mug. "Your shift over?"

"Yes. I have to head over to my new solicitor's soon, though. I received divorce papers from Hank in the mail yesterday morning."

Ed sighed, shaking his head. "He'll get nothing. You'll fight him tooth and nail, I know you will." He then reached out for her hand, "Want me to drive you over?"

Norma then pulled back from Ed's touch. It was now or never.

"I don't think so, Ed."

"What do you mean?"

Norma gulped, and cast her eyes back down on the table. "This. Us. Hank's still not gone away, and you got Nadine to look after."

"But – "

"I know we were hoping to start a new life together, but that can't happen now. And you won't leave Nadine when she's like this, Ed. That's not you. I wouldn't expect anything less." Norma felt her voice begin to break. "I think… we should stop seeing each other. For the foreseeable future. We both have too much going on to worry about what we want."

Ed continued looking towards the counter. "I understand. Now I got to... have –" He then gulped, and got up to leave without finishing his sentence.

As soon as he had left through the restaurant doors, Norma herself then got to her feet, waving away Heidi's inquiries as she bolted into the women's bathroom - and began sobbing to herself.

* * *

"Prepare yourself, Garland. He's a good man, but has his... ways."

"Oh, you needn't worry about me, Carl. I've been well informed by others on the character of Gordon Cole."

Colonel Reilly stepped inside the doorway of the large green canopy, followed closely by Garland. In the middle of the bustle of activity with technicians, federal agents and armed soldiers all around them, there stood FBI Bureau Chief Gordon Cole amongst the sycamore trees, just at the edge of the circle of stones. He was flapping his arms and out-stretching his hands in a highly animated manner to all the people around him, seemingly not noticing everyone was doing their best to cover their ears.

"RIGHTIO, FELLAS! SET UP THAT DOOHICKEY OVER HERE… AND MORE COVER! MORE COVER!"

Whether he was responding to Cole's command or not, a technician ran a long trail of wire right up to the circle of stones. He then came back with yet another of the small satellite dishes that now sat amongst the sycamore trees. The technician connected the trail of wire to dish, and smiled awkwardly at Cole who gave the young man a thumbs up. Clearly, the Bureau Chief was relishing being amongst his team.

"IT'S BEEN SOMETIME, CHIEF!" Reilly shouted towards Cole who grinned at the other two men, and shook their hands.

"IT HAS INDEED, COLONEL! YOU WERE A VALUABLE ASSET ON THE ADVISORY COMMITTEE FOR THE SHAKEDOWN IN BEND! ...AND GOOD TO FINALLY MEET YOU, MAJOR, AGENT COOPER HAS TOLD ME PLENTY ABOUT YOU!"

Garland noticed Cole's handshake with him seemed to linger longer, and it was hard not to notice the deep curiosity in the other man's face when he mentioned Agent Cooper. "Um... YOU TOO, CHIEF! SHERIFF TRUMAN TELLS ME COOPER IS EXPECTED TO MAKE A COMPLETE RECOVERY?"

Cole nodded, "HE IS INDEED! THOUGHT I'M PERSONALLY ENSURING COOP STICKS TO HIS HOSPTIAL BED UNTIL HE MAKES A COMPLETE RECOVERY! WE'RE NOT GONNA HAVE A REPEAT OF THE LAST TIME WHEN THAT PACKARD GIRL PUT A BULLET IN HIS GUT!"

Garland smiled, "YOU MUST HOLD A MAN OF HIS ABILITIES IN SUCH HIGH REGARD ON YOUR TEAM, CHIEF."

Cole nodded. "YOU'RE DAMN RIGHT, MAJOR! BUT ENOUGH ABOUT COOP... AS YOU HEARD, WORD FROM THE BOYS UPSTAIRS IS THAT THEY WANT A COMPLETE CLAMPDOWN ON THE GLASTONBURY GROVE SITE!" He gestured to the wires and communication dishes surrounding the sycamore trees and the canopy roof above the three of them. "I'VE MOVED THREE QUARTERS OF THE BLUE ROSE TEAM OUT HERE UNTIL WE CAN ESTABLISH WHAT EARLE WAS UP TO AND HIS LOCATION NOW, WHERE HE AND COOPER WENT IF WE'RE TO BELIEVE THE SHERIFF, AND THE TRUE NATURE OF THE FORCES IN THESE WOODS!"

Reilly looked grim, staring past Cole to the circle of stones. "Our superiors are really moving fast on this. And to think I've been heckling Washington on more funding and resources for years."

Cole frowned in confusion, looking away from Reilly to Garland and back to Reilly again. "SOUNDS DELICIOUS, COLONEL, BUT I'M NOT HUNGRY! BUT OUR RESPECTIVE SUPERIORS ARE REALLY MOVING FAST ON THIS! MY TEAM WILL NEED FULL USE OF THE OFFICES AND EQUIPMENT AT YOUR BASE, AS WELL AS REVIEWING ALL THE FILES DATING BACK TO WHEN THE MILITARY SET THEMSELVES UP OUT HERE!"

Colonel Reilly nodded. "I KNOW, I RECIEVED THE ORDER THIS MORNING! LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU CHIEF, WE APPRECIATE BEING BROUGHT UP TO SPEED!"

Cole grinned, "NO PROBLEM, COLONEL! THOUGHT YOU BOYS MIGHT APPRECIATE SEEING FOR YOURSELVES HOW SERIOUS WE ARE! LIKE THE SONG GOES, WE DIDN'T START THE FIRE BUT WE'RE TRYING TO FIGHT IT!"

The three men then said their goodbyes, and Garland said nothing to Reilly until they emerged from the canopy. As they past the trailers housing the agents and technicians, Garland decided to ask now.

"Colonel, may I request to return to active duty?"

Reilly stopped, and turned around. He shook his head. "I'm afraid not, Major. I got enough of a grilling from high-up bringing you out here tonight to see the set-up with Cole's agents."

"Any word yet on the inquiry into my abduction by Windom Earle?"

"We'll know tomorrow." Reilly gritted his teeth. "Again Garland, I just want to say I think all this talk from high-up of you conspiring with Earle to uncover top secret information is pure nonsense. Out of anyone on my team, you have easily been our greatest asset with regards to our work out here on the woods."

Garland nodded, smiling sadly. "I understand completely, Colonel. And I appreciate the kind words of support. As is so often the case with authority, they deeply fear what they cannot possibly comprehend."

At that moment, as if hearing those words, an owl hooted in the trees nearby.

* * *

_In what seemed an eternity (and it may as well have been), Dale stood up from the spot from where the Giant disappeared. He brushed his eyes with his finger-tips before taking a deep breath and directly facing the curtains to his right. He stepped through._

_To his surprise, he found this room smaller than the others. More narrow, and the walls not as far apart. The dwarf stood at the far end, regarding him thoughtfully._

"_Do you know who I am?" the dwarf asked, in his usual, strange dialect._

_Dale shook his head slowly. It was a question he pondered when he realised the dwarf existed in a literal sense as much as Bob. If Bob was a malevolent inhabiting spirit, then what was the dwarf? What was their connection?_

"_I am the arm." The dwarf said to Dale's unspoken question. "And I sound like this…" He then raised his right hand to his mouth, and began creating a long and loud Indian whooping sound._

_Dale stared at the dwarf as it stopped making the sound. The Giant had said to 'claim the arm'… could the dwarf be the arm cut off by Mike when he rejected his killing ways? Why would Bob need 'the arm' if he and Mike once went killing together? _

_As Dale pondered, the dwarf walked over to a marble table that Dale hadn't noticed before. On it, was a golden ring which the dwarf picked up. The dwarf held it out towards Dale. It had a green emerald, and on it golden inscriptions of the outline of a diamond with an inverted triangle on either side. The symbol at Owl Cave._

_Dale felt a certain dread well up inside him as the dwarf turned away from him. If that symbol represented the Black Lodge… the ring itself could certainly not bode well for the wearer._

_The dwarf then held it out towards the figure who emerged from the curtain to his left. Laura Palmer, in a black nightgown. Laura reached out for it -_

_Somehow, Dale knew this wasn't the doppelganger Laura… or the Laura whose spirit remained trapped here. It was somehow Laura in a dreaming state, before she had been murdered…_

_He looked from the ring to Laura's out-stretched hand. "Don't take the ring… Laura, don't take the ring…"_

_Laura then suddenly seemed to notice him. She smiled a little, and then turned around and walked back through the curtains. The dwarf then placed the ring back on the table… did it glance at Dale almost disapprovingly? _

_Avoiding it's gaze, Dale then looked down at the table again. "The ring is gone." But Laura didn't take it – _

"_Someone else has it now." The dwarf stated._

_Dale narrowed his eyes at him, and nodded in understanding. "That would indicate this is the future." It would be no surprise the Black Lodge could bend the rules of time and space. If Laura could be here, before she was murdered, the ring here, but now elsewhere…_

_The dwarf grinned at Cooper's realisation, nodding vigorously. "The later events have never been kept a secret."_

_Did that mean time existed at all here? But if not stretching in time, the Lodge did exist as a definable place. With perhaps more then one access point, Dale thought…_

_Dale chose his next words carefully. "Where am I? And how can I leave?"_

_The dwarf shrugged, "You are here and there is no place to go… " There was a pause. "… but HOME!" He added. The diminutive being then began laughing hysterically. _

_And before Dale could stop him, the dwarf held up his left hand, clicked his fingers, and vanished._

* * *

Nurse Mary Rhodes quickly looked up at the slightly ajar door of the nurses' locker room. _Was someone there? _

She shivered as she pulled her anorak on, and stepped out into the corridor. She zipped up then anorak, smiling (and not for the first time) at the ring on her finger. The image of the golden triangles on the green emerald seemed to burn into her mind. She then turned to her right and walked slowly down the corridor.

Had nurse Mary looked to her left as she walked out of the locker room, she might have noticed a familiar figure at the far end of the corridor. A frequent visitor to Annie Blackburn's hospital room. Dale Cooper.

Cooper's eyes stared hungrily after Mary as she turned the corner, and as before when he awoke, he grinned that wide, malevolent smile to himself. He stared at the darkened window opposite him, and he could just make out the reflection of a man in denims, with long, grey, filthy hair.

_Soon._


	3. Chapter Two

Author's Notes: Naturally, been a delay in this update given real life issues... but rest assured, should there be such a delay or even further delays in future chapters ... this story will be completed at some point. :) The whole story has been mapped out, and many sequences from future chapters already written. Thanks to all reviewers thus far!

Following the timeline of the show, this chapter takes place across the entirety of Wednesday, 29th March, 1989.

**"The night my girl went away, gone off in a world filled with stuff..." - Lyrics from 'A Real Indication' by Angelo Badamelenti, **_**Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me **_**soundtrack**

**CHAPTER TWO**

The bright morning sun peeked through the blinds of the main conference room of the Twin Peaks Sheriff's Station. At the head of the long desk sat Harry Truman, and to his right, sat Albert Rosenfield. Harry sat in a relaxed position, hands folded on the desk, staring straight ahead of him. Albert's eyes were looking toward the open folder of paper work on his desk, with biro in hand scribbling notes onto a pad he held in the other. Between them, sat a small tape player that was currently recording.

"… and from this, Agent Cooper decided the best course of action was to check out Glastonbury Grove?"

"He seemed pretty sure that was where we had to go."

Albert nodded slowly as he took in Harry's answer, scribbling down something on the notepad he held out in front of him. Harry couldn't see what Albert was writing, as the Fed held up the notepad in such a way Harry could only see the back of it.

And this had so far been the scene for the last near-hour and a half. Rosenfield had been ordered by Cole to interview Harry regarding Cooper's investigation of finding Laura Palmer's murderer, and then locating Windom Earle, with specific mention to aspects of the case of an other-worldly nature. So far Albert had been asking all the questions in a clipped, detached tone, and with none of his typical sarcasm or biting wit, even when Harry's answers strayed into decidingly 'weird' territory. He recalled Albert's classifying Bob as "the evil that men do" on the evening of Leland Palmer's death, refusing to chalk up the dead man's horrific actions to an external force.

"And then?"

Harry went on, "We immediately took my cruiser out to the woods, and arriving at Glastonbury Grove, we found Mr. Martell's truck."

"Abandoned?"

"Yes. There was no sign of the suspect or Miss Blackburn."

Albert shifted through some files to his right. "In your report, you say you and Agent Cooper then continued into the woods, specifically towards the circle of sycamore trees. How would you describe Agent Cooper's behaviour then?"

"We didn't talk much. I would say he had a quiet determination about him. Not once did he voice any fear for Miss Blackburn's safety or what Windom Earle might be doing to her. It was admirable seeing how focused he was on the job when his girlfriend's life was in danger."

He thought he saw the corners of Albert's mouth tweak slightly as if the other man was about to smile, but his expression remained impassive "And all this time there was no sign of the suspect or Miss Blackburn?"

"None."

"Here is where your report gets vague. You mention he then told you that he must go on alone towards the sycamores, and you complied. Did you not feel such an order odd under the circumstances?"

Harry nodded, "Yes… but Agent Cooper seemed to be confidant. I would almost say he could sense something… unnatural in the air."

"So, you remained a distance outside the circle, and watched him walked towards the sycamore trees."

"Yes." Harry replied, trying to catch Albert's eye. The FBI Agent knew what was in the written report, but he very clearly wanted Harry to say it. There was a pause, and Harry continued, "He stepped into the stone circle, and then… " Another pause. "... what I would describe as large, red curtains appeared in front of him. Suspended in the air. He also seemed to notice."

"Forgive me, but you say that the sight of the curtains struck you. It would be initially assumed you ment the curtains appearing out of nowhere and then just as quickly disappearing, with Agent Cooper."

Harry nodded, "Yes, there was that… but also I remembered the details of a dream Agent Cooper had once told me about."

"The same dream he claimed gave him details identifying Leland Palmer as the murderer of Laura?"

"Yes. He mentioned there were red curtains lining the room with the dwarf in that same dream."

Now, Albert paused, scribbling quickly on his notepad. Albert hesitated for a moment, and glanced at Harry before looking down at the notepad again. Harry guessed the conversation was getting a bit too abstract again for the Fed's tastes. Albert sighed, and reached over to press the stop button on the recorder.

"I think that's enough for today, Harry." Albert said, getting up from his seat as he shifted the files into the open folder. Sealing it, he picked up the tape recorder, placing it under his arm and then reaching for his coat that hung on his char.

Harry rose from his own seat, and said a little hesitatingly, "How did I do?"

Albert shrugged as he threw his coat over the same arm under whose shoulder he tucked the tape recorder, and passed Harry towards the door. "Everything from after the Miss Twin Peaks Contests seems pretty much as stated in your original report. And it's been a long morning revisiting everything since Laura Palmer's murder. I'll prepare a transcript for Cole, and I'll let you know will we need a follow-up."

"Thanks Albert." Harry replied. To be honest, Harry felt the formal tone between them since their initial meeting this morning was beginning to grate - though it was given it would still be like this following their argument yesterday.

Albert reached for the door and opened it, and paused for a moment. "Come to think of it...", Harry could hear him mutter.

He shut the door again, and glanced at Harry, "It might have seemed best to cover this in our interview, but tell me, did Agent Cooper ever talk about his work with the Bureau prior to coming to Twin Peaks?"

Harry frowned for a moment, putting his hands in his pockets as he glanced at the ground, thinking about Albert's for a moment. He looked back up at Albert. "Honestly? Not really. The only thing that comes to mind is his prior history with Windom Earle. Do you mean previous cases?"

"Well, yes. With particular mention of the investigation into Theresa Bank's death in Deer Meadow last year."

"Definitely, but not into any great detail. Is there something he should have said?" Harry was beginning to wonder was it deliberate Albert never got any reference to Theresa Banks onto tape.

Albert started at him for a moment, deeply frowning as he clearly seemed to debate the merits of pressing the issue further. "I thought Cooper might have mentioned a name. You mean to tell me you never heard the name Chester Desmond?"

Harry narrowed his eyes at the Fed. The name did certainly stir something in his memory, but he couldn't place it. Definitely nothing Cooper might have said at any point in the past.

"I'm not sure. But I never recall Coop mentioning this guy."

Albert sighed, clearly holding back another sarcastic remark. "Then it's nothing. Thank you for your time, Harry." He then reached for the door, opened it, and then proceeded to slam it behind him.

* * *

"I'm back in my office. You can send in Mrs. Martell now, Lucy."

Lucy Moran reached over and pressed the intercom in her cubicle. "Okay, Sheriff." Lucy carefully let go of the button and looked up at Catherine Martell standing outside her smile, and smiled at her. "The Sheriff will see you in his office now, Mrs. Martell."

"Thank you, Lucy." Catherine Martell replied in a haughty tone, and Lucy thought she caught the older woman roll her eyes as she turned away from the cubicle and towards the corridor that would lead to Sheriff Truman's office.

Lucy paid this little mind though, instead directing her attention towards the opening doors of the Station where Agent Rosenfield was currently helping her boyfriend Deputy Andy Brennan pick up a load of books that Andy had dropped... when he accidently hit into Albert when the Fed was leaving the building.

"Hate to talk ill of the fine services of the rolling one-man book club - " Albert was tossing book after book atop the pile Andy was barely holding onto it as he tried to get to his feet " - but some of us are focused on the job at hand, Deputy Brennan!" he snapped, as he held the inner door open for Andy as he stumbled inside.

Andy tried to crane his neck back to apologise, "Gee, I said I was sorry like five times, Agent Rosenfeld!" But Albert was already gone.

Lucy stood up from her seat, and leaned out of her cubicle. "Andy?"

Andy looked over at his girlfriend, fixing her with the same goofy grin he greeted her with every morning since the Miss Twin Peaks Contest. "Heya Lucy! Was downtown talking to the investigators at the Savings and Loan, and thought I'd stop by the library!"

"But why?" Lucy looked at the pile quizzically, as Andy carefully balanced them as he leaned into her cubicle.

"Well, considering we're going to be parents and all, I figured we should know as much as we can about that little bun in the oven before it erm... bakes! So, I got you some books that we can - oops!" Andy then - try as he might - suddenly lost his grip on the pile of books and they all practically fell into Lucy's cubicle atop her work station and paperwork.

Lucy's mouth dropped, sighing as she bent to the ground to pick the books up. Andy meanwhile, gulped, and sheepishly brushed his head.

"I erm... I'll help you with that Lucy! Just let me..."

Suddenly Lucy bolted up, fixing her boyfriend with an icy glare, waving a thick black volume under his nose.

"If you're so concerned about being a good father, how do you explain THIS?!" she shrieked.

Andy looked down and read the title of the book. His eyes widened as he took it in._ Living With The Consequences: So You've Made The Mistake Of Getting Pregnant_.

"Oh no! I... I just picked up everything in the maternity section! Lucy, I must have- "

"Deputy Brennan! If you're not finished disrupting this important work I have to do for Sheriff Truman, take your reading material and leave me alone!" Lucy shrieked, flinging the book at Andy's head. Andy quickly ducked and the book missed him, but from somewhere behind him he quickly heard a dull thud and a familiar "Ow!"

Andy turned around where he saw Deputy Hawk standing in the middle of the waiting room and rubbing the side of his forehead, having just come threw the entrance. "... what's the big idea, Lucy? Geez, not even here five minutes..." He trailed off as he walked off down the corridor.

"Sorry, Deputy Hawk." Lucy went a bright red, glaring at Andy again before slamming her window shut.

* * *

Harry smiled widely at Catherine across at his desk. "Well, I guess that's something, poor ol' Pete's still in one piece and all." He watched as Catherine nodded, and dabbed at her eyes a little too theatrically.

"Oh, yes. And Doctor Hayward tells me there's a specialist coming down from Seattle this afternoon. Hopefully... something... "

Harry then leaned forward in his chair, keeping his fixed smile at Catherine. "Well, Catherine, since this is a difficult time for you and all, I'll make it as quick as I can: all I need is the answer to a few questions."

Catherine sniffed, and slowly nodded. Harry could swear he caught a flash of reluctance in her eyes.

"First off... why was Pete even there at the Savings and Loan?"

Catherine quickly replied. "He was picking up something for me at a safety deposit box we had both... forgotten about."

Harry nodded, "Okay. Was anyone accompanying him?"

Catherine slowly shook her head, looking confused. "Should there have been?"

Harry stroked his chin thoughtfully, and then shifted through some files on his desk. "We have a statement from Audrey Horne that Deputy Hawk got this morning. She says your husband entered the Savings and Loan with man she placed in his mid-50s."

"Really?"

"Yeah. Now here's where it's gets interesting... based on her description of him, and what Del Mibbler has said in his current state... she'd be certain it was your bother Andrew."

There was a pause, and Harry looked up. It Catherine was lying, she certainly looked genuinely confused. She then spoke in a frosty tone.

"Harry, I am in no mood for such games. My brother is dead... are you forgetting the funeral we had for him - that the whole town turned out for?"

Harry stared at Catherine with an impassive expression for a moment, all hint of pleasantries gone. "Yes, with specific instructions it was to be a closed casket. Then you had him cremated afterwards."

Catherine was quick with her response. "The boat accident left him with horrific injuries. I saw him myself. ...I told you all this at the time."

Harry nodded, "True. And you wouldn't let any of us or the state investigators look at the body. Got a line of lawyers from here to Tokyo to argue that on your behalf. You said two of your workers at the mill found him after the accident, and they - and their families - both left town shortly after the funeral."

Catherine got up to leave. "Harry, I'm not even going to pretend I know where you're going with all this. And I would venture to say that's your investigative process has at lot going for it if you believe a confused, old fool like Del Mibbler. And with regards to the statement of Ms. Horne... you might forget our favourite environmentalist is going to considerable lengths to discredit me. I certainly wouldn't put it pass Benjamin to have his daughter make up a story like that... terrible really, after her experience. Good morning to you."

Harry wasn't about to leave it at that. "Maybe none of its true. But it would certainly answer some questions... "

Catherine paused at the door. She glanced back. "That being?"

"At the time, it was well known that the vast Packard fortune was nowhere to be found after Andrew died. Tied up in some overseas account scheme maybe. Money you stood to inherit. It might also explain why Josie was so terrified before she died. If Andrew somehow did survive, I can't imagine he was too pleased his wife might have possibly set him up to be killed... along with his old business partner."

Catherine chuckled, and opened the door. She looked back at Harry, "Still clinging to the memory of your lost love? For all our sakes, let it go, Harry. Josie was a fraud. She was a master of deception."

"I've come to believe that, yeah. But she is hardly the only one in town who could master it."

Catherine chuckled again, "Good day to you, Harry." She then shut the door after her, leaving Harry alone to ponder her words.

* * *

Albert stepped in through the door of Room 229 at Calhoun Memorial Hospital, and looked around to find Cooper standing in front of the far window, his arms folded.

"God, you truly bleed for this backwater burg."

Cooper turned around, smiling at his colleague. He raised his hand. "Albert! Tell it to me straight! What's the diagnosis?"

Albert crossed the room to the foot of Cooper's bed, and picked up the charts. "I'd usually give you a full check-up myself, but Cole's brought some of our top doctors all the way out from Philadelphia." Albert then carefully placed the charts back on the end of the bed, and looked up at his colleague with a more serious expression. "And that includes our staff psychologist, the good Mr. Peyton. I'm afraid to say you've been put on suicide watch."

Cooper seemed taken aback for a moment. "Albert, this is outrageous. Did Cole order this?"

"As soon as he heard about how you got that injury, yes he did. And don't look so surprised, Coop. It might be something to do with your willing to take a sudden face-dive to the mirror in your bathroom after your girlfriend getting abducted and near-killed by your ex partner. And I know that insipid flea-den up by the Falls has a stomach-inducing quaintness about it, but I'd hardly literally go out on a limb to make a point about it."

Cooper chuckled. "You know Albert, while I can't agree with your feelings about this town... your biting wit right now does more then the best prescribed medicine."

Albert snorted, "Like you find that around here… sometimes I still think the locals think the best treatments in these parts are a naked dance around the bonfire in the town square, whilst covered in chicken blood."

"I don't know about that, we seemed to be both on the mend pretty quick."

Albert jumped as he realised another presence was in the room, and Cooper grinned at his girlfriend. "Morning, Annie!" Annie crossed the room, and both gave each other a quick kiss. Clasping her hand, Cooper looked at her from head to toe - noting she was dressed in her normal clothes and not a hospital gown. "I take it you're all ready to check out?"

Annie nodded, as she squeezed his hand. "Yep. I'm also going to drop by the Double R, and hope Norma's going to give me some new shifts. She's already doing the dutiful big sister thing and prescribing immediate bed rest when I get home. Think I'll go even more insane if I'm confined to my bedroom."

Cooper sighed, glancing at Albert out of the corner of his eye. "I know the feeling... " He then waved towards Albert. "Annie Blackburn, meet Special Agent Albert Rosenfeld. Albert's one of the finest agents in our department, and a good friend."

"Cooper, please!" Albert said in mock embarrassment as he shook her hand. "Nice to meet you at last, Miss Blackburn. Now, if you'll both excuse me - "

"Oh, don't leave on my account, I was just leaving - " Annie began.

Albert dismissed her comment with a nod. "Nonsense." He looked towards Cooper. "Plus, Cole's requested a meeting of all agents - that is, active agents - shortly at Glastonbury Grove."

"Any sign of Earle... ?" Albert noted Annie stiffened at the mention of her abductor's name, but Cooper didn't seem to pay it any heed.

"Definitely something under consideration. ... which we'll certainly discuss with you when you return to the field. Take it easy, Coop." Albert then stopped talking, and opened his mouth to say something else, but closed it again.

"Albert?"

Albert smiled slightly. "Forgive me, but... I think in times like these you both need each other. I think, my friends, the power of love does more for the healing of the human spirit than anything I've found in my medical practise. Once again, I bid you a good day."

As he turned to leave Cooper's room, (just momentarily catching the couples' dumbfounded expressions), Albert could just make out the beginning of the resulting conversation as he made his way down the corridor.

"He's your friend? Strange guy."

He could tell his old friend was smiling. "Albert? No, not really... he just walks a stranger path then most."

* * *

Ben and Jerry stepped over the threshold into the Great Northern carrying Ben's belongings. They both simultaneously dropped the bags at their sides and turned to each other with wide grins. They then looked out at the hustle and bustle of the lobby, taking it all in.

"Oh yes!" Jerry declared. "The brothers Horne are back!"

"Welcome home... "

Ben then noted the receptionist approaching him. "Why, thank you Louie. Have you seen my dear wife around?"

"Well, the thing is Mr. Horne - "

Jerry interrupted their receptionist, as he began to light up his pipe. "Brother Ben? Since when did we ever hire a re-decorator?"

Ben paused and looked around the main lobby. Sure enough, he noticed some of the familiar wooden-panelled walls of tribal paintings were being repainted with a light green by men wearing uniforms of a local redecorator.

When Louie ran over to him, she hurriedly gave him an explanation, "They just arrived this morning, Mr. Horne. Your wife - "

Ben's voice then rose to a considerably increased level, causing Louie, Jerry and all the nearby patrons to jump in surprise. "Sylvia - ?! Since when she does dare to redecorate these walls without my agreement?! My father personally designed these corridors!"

"Y-Your office!" Louie quickly replied, pointing in the direction of Ben's office in the hope his wrath would be directed elsewhere.

Ben clicked his fingers at Jerry, and once Jerry awkwardly scooped up Ben's bags in his arms they both quickly set off down the corridor towards his office - neither saying a word to the other. Standing outside the two double doors, Ben swung them open. What struck him first about the office was the new, rearranged furniture. The desk now stood at the window, and his wife and a considerably younger man in a trim suit stood behind the desk pouring over documentation. They looked up at the two brothers.

"Sylvia?!"

Sylvia seemed momentarily surprised at his arrival, but she quickly composed herself. "Benjamin. I see they let you out a day early and all. You know Jerome."

"Jerome?" Ben chuckled. "Don't be ridiculous Sylvia, the man is your chiropractor. I don't dare imagine he carries the business acumen for such matters as the running of our hotel."

Sylvia flashed Jerome a seductive smile, before returning her attention to her husband. "What can I say? In conversation, I've learnt Jerome has certain... shall we say, skills, you wouldn't initially expect from meeting him."

Ben looked from one to the other, and ignored Jerry's gasp as he suddenly realised what Sylvia is saying. Ben could hardly express anger, surely his own fidelity was hardly anything to boast about...

"I can imagine." Ben replied in a flat tone. Clearing his throat, Ben put his hands in his pockets and crossed the room, standing before her desk. "But I must ask, what the _devil _do you think you're doing?"

Sylvia sighed, throwing down the paperwork she had been reading over. She folded her arms and fixed her husband with an icy glare. "Cleaning up after your mess. Between your recent arrest, mental breakdown, and throwing all our money into this transparent effort to bring down Catherine - not to mention your recent injury - it's a wonder your family still has a roof over their heads given all the increasing financial losses we've had in the last month."

Ben sighed. "I admit there have been certain... setbacks, but rest assured, I am quite up to the task of getting back in the saddle. And I think you're beginning to forget the clearly designated roles we've forged in this business after we married - "

"Which I have now decided to change. It was only the other night when he arrived, before I packed him off, that Jerry simply relished the notion of someone new in charge."

Ben heard Jerry suddenly clear his throat nervously. He glared at his younger brother. "We'll discuss this later, _Judas_."

He then looked back at Sylvia. She was now holding out a brown paper envelope towards him.

"And this is?" He said, taking it off her and ripping the envelope open.

"I think you already know. Your divorce papers. As, well as a new contract outlining your new role in Horne Enterprises. Naturally, you'll be taking over my role in our charitable work, and of course, you can continue your ridiculous 'Stop Ghostwood' campaign but not at the company's expense... great reading, but I'm sure you can do just that in your new office."

Ben looked up from the documentation in his hand. He leaned his head towards her, his eyebrows raised. "Excuse me... _my_ office?"

"Yes." Sylvia nodded, smiling nastily, "Turn left, and straight down the far corridor. Last one on the right."

Jerry frowned. "Hey Ben, isn't that's the main janitor's closet?" Ben could have throttled him.

"That it is, Jerry." Sylvia replied, but never taking her eyes off Ben. "Which I'm sure will soon begin undergoing a swift renovation. Best of luck."

Ben felt a great anger begin to rise out of the pit of his stomach. He sneered at the woman before him. "Now, Sylvia - "

"What's done is done, Benjamin. I am now taking steps to rescue this family business. Be sure to shut the door behind you on your way out. Now, Jerome, with regards to these potential investments... " Syliva then turned her back to Ben as she shifted out more files on her desk.

Ben glowered at her, but when Sylvia appeared to no longer acknowledge his or Jerry's presence - his annoyed demeanour weakened. Sighing, he then turned and left the room without another word to her.

* * *

Garland clutched the bouquet of flowers close to his uniform as he walked along the row of gravestones in Ghostwood Memorial Park. So lost in thought over recent troubles, and so used to this yearly ritual, he did not need to find the location of his destination.

He stood before the grave as he lay down the flowers on the mound of dirt. He looked, and automatically read the description he had a read a thousand times before.

_MARIE MORRISSON_

_14th, August 1945 - 17th March 1964_

_Taken By Fire, But Into The Grace Of God_

Garland then rose to his feet, and began a small prayer when his concentration was interrupted by a familiar voice carrying over the gravestones.

"... It's just so hard! And no-one to talk to, and when I leave, people stare... and then I come home, to an empty house... "

Garland looked around and several rows behind him, spied Sarah Palmer standing before the graves of Laura and Leland Palmer. Her voice was getting more and more raised.

"I miss you so, much. Both of you!" - her voice slowly began to rise and carry across the gravestones - "So much! So much!"

Garland then slowly walked towards her, and called out to her, "Sarah?"

Sarah jumped and quickly turned around. She began hastily dabbing at her eyes with a handkerchief, as if suddenly ashamed Garland caught her in a moment of such raw emotion.

"Oh, hello Garland!" Sarah replied, trying to sound more upbeat. "I must have gave you quite a scare... sometimes, I really don't know what quite comes over me..."

"Nonsense, Sarah. It's still been barely a month between both your losses. How often do you visit?"

"At least once every two days. It's hard, but it's good to see them again."

Garland nodded, "True. It's hardly an uncommon notion that grief is not easy, but then... maybe it shouldn't be."

Sarah nodded, sniffing as she blew her nose. "Why, are you, if you don't mind me... ?"

Garland smiled at her. "Of course not. I was visiting an old friend. Her name was Marie. She died in a house fire when we were still teenagers. Today, she has been dead for twenty-five years. Her parents left town a few years after the incident, so I'm probably the only one who visits her in all these years."

"I'm sorry - "

"Oh, not to worry. It was such a long time ago, and perhaps I should be apologising, intruding on your far more immediate grief."

Sarah shook her head and tried to smile, "Oh, no. I like to talk... I really seemed to have fallen behind in keeping in touch with all my friends. Sometimes, I think, when they remember Leland... " Her voice then began to break, and she dabbed at her eyes again. But the implication was clear to Garland, that Sarah felt all the talk amongst the townspeople of Leland's actions may have resulted in isolating of Sarah from certain circles. And he had a horrible suspicion the grief-stricken woman was not entirely wrong on such an idea either.

"It's not easy getting through the day... ", she went on, "... and sometimes, when alone... ", her eyes now took a distant expression, "... I see things, feel things, more than I ever did before..."

Garland's thoughts then shifted to the message she gave him in the Double R whilst Dale Cooper was still presumably in the Black Lodge. But perhaps now was not the best time to revisit that.

"Well Sarah, if you have no plans, myself and Betty would be glad to have the pleasure of your company at supper this evening." Garland smiled, "How does eight o' clock sound?"

He could clearly see Sarah fighting an internal battle as to whether to accept the invitation. Garland privately hoped she said yes, so as to once again find comfort in the presence of others - for her own sake.

"Alright."

* * *

It was a longer working day then usual at the gas station for Ed as he stepped over the threshold into his and Nadine's home. It was not often he kept the gas station open this late, but sometimes his general mood kept him working the gas pumps or doing repairs to keep his mind off recent troubles. Which were usually related to Norma.

Ed had immediately sensed something a bit off about the general atmosphere as he stepped further into the house. "What in the world - "

He then stopped, absolutely lost for words at the sight before him. Ever item or furniture in the living room (and he suspected in the other rooms) was almost completely turn open, ripped apart and generally strewn along the floor. The walls carried holes, and the carpet itself was looking ripped up.

As shocked as he way, he then began to fear for his wife. What was he thinking staying out this late with her in that condition -

"NADINE!"

To his surprise, his wife emerged from the kitchen, carrying a sledge-hammer and what looked like the leg of the kitchen table.

"Hiya Eddy!" Her demeanour seemed unusually cheery for the destruction surrounding them.

"What do you think you're doing, darling?" Ed stepped further into the house, almost tripping over the various rubble. "This is our home!"

Nadine threw the sledge-hammer and table leg aside, and jumped over some of the mess to wrap her husband in a tight hug. Ed gasped as he had to free a hand and grab the wall, lest he fall over.

"Oh, I know, Eddy! I was doing a bit of spring-cleaning for you and got carried away!" She then loosened her grip on him and looked up at him. "You know what we should do?"

Ed replied somewhat hesitatingly, "And what's that?"

"Get a new house! Knock this old one down! Rip it to pieces and pieces, and we'll start again! Just the two of us!" She flashed him with a huge toothy grin, and hugged him again.

Ed patted her on the back of the head sheepishly. "Now Nadine, I ain't saying that's such a bad idea, but did you really have to tear the place apart?"

Nadine then broke off contact, and sniffed. "I know I might have gone too far. But no everything... " She cast her eyes across the living room.

Ed frowned, following her gaze. "What do you - oh."

Nadine crossed the room at a quick pace, (seemingly knowing where all the potential dangerous items of damaged furniture could be potentially trodden on), and stood before the curtains. She reached out, and gently patted the material. "You know, Eddy, I think I should start going to my old hobbies."

Ed smiled sadly at his wife. "The ol' silent drape runners, huh? Might be good to have something to do during the day, darling."

Nadine nodded slowly, "I guess." She then began to weep, burying her face in the curtains.

Ed sighed, carefully making his way across the room to take his wife in his arms once more.

* * *

Harry smiled as he supped his coffee in the kitchen of the Sheriff's Station. With everything that had happened recently, at least you could always count on Lucy Moran's coffee brew to be gloriously consistent. He had just taken a bite out of the doughnut clutched in his other hand when Hawk leaned into the kitchen, waving a folder.

"Lucy and me just came across this in the archives, regarding this Chester Desmond that Albert mentioned. Makes for interesting reading."

Harry lay the coffee and the doughnut aside on a nearby plate. Brushing his hands, he took the file from Hawk and then opened it. He raised his eyebrows when something in the text caught his eye. "Theresa Banks? Does make sense as to why Albert suddenly mentioned this Desmond guy... he's an agent of the Bureau. Missing in the field. Wait, I remember this..."

Hawk nodded, "That's right... Desmond disappeared in the field during an investigation in Deer Meadow, which could mean he was investigating Theresa Bank's murder before Cooper did. That's when the Missing Persons bulletin came from in the Bureau offices in Philapdelphia. Since then, there's been no indication was Desmond ever found - or what's happened to the case since."

"Naturally, there's a slight connection here with this guy being an agent and all, not to mention Cooper's involvement," - Harry narrowed his eyebrows - "but I still can't imagine how any of this has any bearing on what's happened in the last few days. And why Albert was so curious did Coop ever talk about this guy."

"What now?"

"Only one thing for it - " Harry looked up from the file, " - better have a word with Albert tomorrow. I knew he threw that name at me for a reason. Now let's hope he's more obliging giving us some answers."

* * *

_Dale sighed as he exited another large red-curtained room that revealed nothing. (Save for the usual furniture, armchair, couch, a lamp - or some variation of these items). _

_Clearly finding the dwarf, 'the arm' and somehow claiming that was the key to deducing whatever was to be Dale's purpose here if he could not immediately escape. But what decided when the dwarf was to appear? Did the diminutive being have any control over it's own actions, and it's appearances, or was it by way of some metaphysical rules of the Black Lodge itself?_

_Pondering this, Dale walked down the long corridor, and turned right to face the curtains. Taking a breath, he parted the curtains and stepped through._

_He walked through, and frowned as he noticed a armchair was the lone piece of the furniture in this room. It was placed in the very centre of the room and directly facing him. And currently unoccupied._

_As soon as he took a step forward, the lights dimmed to darkness and the persistent strobe light began flashing from it's undetermined source. Dale squinted through the darkness as he noticed a shape sitting in the armchair. The lights then went up -_

_Dale's eyes widened, "CHET!"_

_In the armchair, now sat Agent Chester 'Chet' Desmond. Desmond was dressed in a identical black-suit to Dale, and looking around in wonderment at the surroundings. He seemed just as surprised to see Dale standing across the room for him, and quickly glanced to his left hand which was closed in a fist. He opened it to find it was empty. He frowned, and stood up from the chair._

_"Agent Cooper? Dale Where are we - " He was not speaking in the strange dialect of the residents of the Black Lodge._

_Dale held up a hand, as he walked towards him - speaking in a hurried tone. "Wait! Chet, what's the last thing you remember?"_

_Chet frowned, still looking around him. He then returned his attention to Dale. "Deer Meadow. Theresa Banks. I was looking at a trailer that seemed to draw my attention, and underneath was a mound of dirt. On top of it was a ring, that looked like what Theresa wore on her right forefinger before she died. It was not on the body by the time we did the autopsy. I was reaching for it... and now I'm here."_

_Dale clicked his fingers, suddenly recalling the details of the previous case. How did he not remember this? "Holy smokes! And this ring... it was golden, with a green emerald that had the inscription of a diamond and two inverted triangles?" _

_"Yes, but Dale, why - what the?!" _

_Dale noticed Chet had suddenly froze and was looking straight passed him, and he turned around... to see Chet emerge from the curtains opposite. But this Chet fixed them both with a large maniacal grin, and had two blank, white eyes. _

_Dale looked back to the original Chet. "Chet, stay calm. This is only a trick of this place - "_

_And then, the Chet doppelgänger laughed manically as it raced towards Chet, pushing Dale aside and knocking him to the floor. Meanwhile, Chet himself turned around and raced towards the curtains, his doppelgänger close behind._

_Dale quickly jumped to his feet, about to follow. "Chet, don't stop! Keep running!" he shouted after them. He was about to proceed to follow through the curtains, when the room darkened once again and the strobe light again began flashing. Dale could then sense another figure in the room, and saw someone again sitting in the armchair. The lights went up - _

_And there sat Laura Palmer, in her familiar black dress. She sat there with a wide-eyed, horrified expression. She looked at her right hand as if to see something should be there, and then she noticed Dale staring at her._

_"Laura... " Dale whispered, "But how - ?"_

_A lone tear ran down Laura Palmer's cheek. And when she spoke, she spoke in what Dale knew was not the usual dialect of the Black Lodge residents. It was Laura's own normal voice._

_"My father... killed me."_


	4. Chapter Three

Author's Note: I haven't forgotten this. It's never over. The door is never closed. I have a renewed fire for this story, and re-written my notes. And I haven't forgotten all you great reviewers. God bless each and every one of you. :)

The following takes place on Thursday, March 30th, 1989.

**"**_**And then... there they were..." **_**- Phillip Jeffries, **_**Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me**_

**CHAPTER THREE**

"Welcome back, Audrey."

"Thank you, Louie"

The Great Northern receptionist smiled back at Audrey as she walked past reception and down the familiar corridor to her father's office. Audrey then had to suddenly stop herself, and then took a step to her right down a corridor less used by those employed directly under her father.

She stopped before the door at the end of the corridor, and trying to stifle a laugh, she took the handle and stepped inside.

"Daddy?"

Her father looked up from the makeshift desk, (which was carefully balanced on one side by several books instead of a leg). He was currently talking to someone on the newly installed phone line, and raised a hand to her in greeting. Audrey had to wave away the smoke to look around at the dull stone-grey walls. Obviously her father taken up cigars again.

"… oh you'll have to excuse me, Mr. Kirkland …yes, I've just remembered I had an important meeting. …yes, Ghostwood, _that's_ right… do that for me, will you? … _Very_ good. Good day to you, sir."

Audrey had been staring at the old stuff vicuna that had been laying on a nearby shelf along with other familiar ornaments from her father's office. She had just then noticed the picture of her and Laura last Christmas hastily placed behind it, and she had been reaching to take it out when her father slammed down the phone and she jumped.

"Of all the incompetent – !"

Audrey smiled at him. "Trouble?"

Her father then seemed to remember she was there, and put out the cigar in the over-flowing ash-tray. "Never take on a lawyer recommended by your brother who flunked law school."

Audrey frowned. "We're not dealing with Jefferson Smith anymore?" she asked, referring to the Horne family lawyer - since Leland Palmer's passing anyway.

Ben reached into his pocket to take another cigar and sighed when he realised there was none left. "Your mother is. Those forthcoming divorce proceedings." He muttered, with no small amount of bitterness in his voice. "And I'm stuck with this charlatan, one Arthur Kirkland, who I've just discovered is an old drinking buddy of your uncle Jerry's from law school."

"Have you tired actually talking to her?"

Ben shook his head. "Your mother? Oh, believe me, I've tried. But I don't think your mother and I can be in the same room anymore without threatening to bring the very walls down. And we need a hotel to fight over, don't we? Now of course there's your uncle's hardly helping matters acting as damage control between us."

Audrey shrugged. "Well, I can talk to Mom. I could do with a challenge now that I'm back on my feet."

Ben nodded, squeezing between what little space there was between the desk and the wall to get to her.

"Audrey, we've discussed this. If there's one thing your... persistent mother and I can agree on, it's your education. You have to go back to high school."

Audrey pouted. "Now Daddy, I told you I wanted to help you with the business. I promise I'll do a private tuition course over the summer to catch up - and then I can graduate." It was something that had only been occasionally discussed by her and her father, true, and she anticipated that her assistance during the busy summer months would be a good excuse to get out of that.

"Oh, I have no objections, but it's your mother you must convince. She was never too happy with our arrangement and she seems, not without good reason, to think being around people your own age is good for your growth. And also, don't forget it was for 'the good of the family business' that you ended up in your current state." He indicated to her arm that remained in a cast, only visible by way of her bandaged hand because of the long-sleeved velvet black coat she was currently wearing. The nurses had removed the sling this morning before she was let go.

"Well, I recovered quickly." She pointed out. "But I'll talk to Mom about all that. In the meantime, I can stick around the hotel. Taking reservations with Louie, that sort of thing."

Her father smiled as he laid a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Oh Audrey, how little so many doubt your true potential. Even your thick-headed excuse for a father, once."

Audrey smiled back. "What can I say? My elders inspire me."

Ben affectionately tapped her cheek. He broke off contact, as he reached over her head to open a new box of cigars on the same shelf with the vicuna.

As he lit up, he said, "When's Jack arriving?"

"His flight gets in at eight o' clock tomorrow morning." she said. The sentence came out fast, but it was a struggle not to contain her excitement. "Will he be working with us too?"

Ben nodded, taking a long puff of the cigar. "Yes, your mother has no use for him in the general day-to-day affairs of the hotel… so he'll be helping us with Ghostwood in any way he can." Ben shrugged, "Not a lot for him to do this time 'round I admit, but –" he narrowed his eyebrows at her "– he seems to think there's something here worth coming back to."

Audrey grinned to herself, before hugging him. She broke off, as she made her way to the door, "Well, I think it's best to start off the day talking to Mom about all this. What are you going to do?"

Ben sighed as he sat at his desk. He waved to the room around him, "Oh, y'know, what any other Catering Officer would do to pass the day. Maybe I'll personally scrub the guest toilets. Jerry can do the bed-pans."

They both laughed, as Audrey shut the door behind her. Audrey walked back up the corridor towards reception in a daze, a serene smile on her face. To think Jack will be here by this time tomorrow! Perhaps, she'd plan some sort of surprise for him…

She greeted Louie again as she stepped out into the reception area, and turned right to walk down the corridor to Sylvia Horne's new office. She then frowned to herself as the light began to flicker above her, and seemingly in the entire reception area itself. She looked around as the guests flowing into the breakfast room noticed too, particularly when the flickering got more persistent. She then noticed two of the guests regarding her directly across the room.

One was an elderly woman, dressed in a long, black dress and accompanying jacket and hat. Her companion was a small, blond-haired boy, possibly her grandson, in a dark suit with a tie. On his face, was a strange, simple white mask with a long nose… almost like Pinocchio.

Audrey stopped for a moment, and she noticed the pair continuing to stare at her, seemingly unnoticed by any of the guests or phased by the flickering lights. It would almost seem rude to anyone else, but Audrey felt an undeniable pull towards the two, there would something about them undeniably familiar. The noise of the guests talking seemed to dim in her mind. The woman then raised her hand, and beckoned for Audrey to come towards them. Without knowing why, Audrey nodded and stepped forward –

And the lights stopped flickering, and returned to normal. Audrey looked up and noticed the old woman and boy were gone. She walked across the reception area, and into the breakfast room. She then stepped outside into the lobby, and there seemed to be no sign of them in the car park beyond. She walked back inside towards Louie at the reception desk.

"Boy, that was pretty strange, wasn't it?" Louie said. "The last thing we need around here is problems with the generator."

"Tell me about it." Audrey replied. "Could you check out something for me?"

"Oh?"

"I want to find out the names of two guests," Audrey explained, "An old woman and a boy, probably her grandson."

Louie furrowed her brow as she leafed through the guest list. "Doesn't sound like anyone I know, but I'll see." She read it for a moment. "One here. There's a Keaton family from Toronto. The only kids they have are three teenagers. All boys. There's a Mr. Dunham and his young son down from Seattle on a fishing trip, but I know them to see. Why do you ask?"

Audrey shook her head, realising the near-encounter with the old woman was unnerving her on some level she couldn't understand. Best to put it out of her mind to matters at hand. "No reason. Thought I saw someone. Thanks, Louie."

* * *

Lucy Moran looked up from her copy of _War, Famine And A Fresh Diaper: How To Cope Raising A Baby In A World Gone Ma_d as Albert Rosenfield rapped on the window of her office. She reached up to open the glass window, and let out a cry as she pulled it back, and in the process knocked over a stack of the pregnancy books Andy bought her off her desk and right onto the floor. Albert rolled his eyes.

"If you're not busy reading how to deal with your newborn getting drafted for Vietnam, could you maybe let the good Sheriff know I've arrived?"

Lucy glared at him, saying nothing to him as she pressed the intercom. But her tone harsh, every syllable emphasised with increasing venom, "Sheriff Truman, I've got Agent Rosenfield waiting for you."

"Send 'im in, Lucy." Lucy let go of the button.

"Sheriff Truman is – "

"I heard.", Albert rasped, already turning his back on the secretary as he headed to the office. Then, he paused, and turned around to face Lucy, just catching her sticking out her tongue at him and quickly putting it back in her mouth. "Y'know, I wouldn't bother even browsing those dimestore 'self-help' books. Stick to the popular choice amongst pregnant women. I always recommend _Expecting Great Things: The Great Nine Month Wait _by Fenn."

He turned around again, just catching Lucy gaping at him out of the corner of his eye as he stepped into Truman's office.

"Harry."

"Albert." Truman was sitting at his desk, shifting through files. Albert was surprised to find Hawk standing off to one side in the corner, but the Native American said nothing to him. Albert took his usual seat. Truman was still reading the files, when Albert spoke:

"Have to say, Cole's grateful for your co-operation so far, especially with our interview. He was also hoping you might lend us some of your deputies."

Harry's face was impassive, but there was a notable pause as he seemed to contemplate Cole's request. "Do you need our help at Glastonbury Grove?"

Albert had to give the big lug credit, he still didn't let up no matter how many times the word 'classified' was thrown his way. He wondered how Cooper often danced around these matters with the Sheriff and still have gained such a strong kinship with the man.

"Nothing we need in that regard from your office. More specifically, further to Cole's meeting last night with our assembled agents, we were hoping you might help us find Windom Earle. As I mentioned on our arrival, I've been meaning to co-ordinate a wider search of the area with Deputy Hawk. After finding Earle's cabin and what's left of the late Mr. Johnson" – here, Hawk noticeably shifted his feet – "our men have found nothing. Hopefully, with some of your men knowing the lay of the land", he gestured with his head towards Hawk, "we might cover some of the surrounding woodlands a bit better. It's still possible he has another base-of-operations somewhere."

"How can you even be sure he's still in Twin Peaks?"

"We're not. But after all Cooper's been through, Cole's not taking any chances that Earle might strike again. There's also something else - " Albert opened his briefcase and removed a document and handed it to Truman across his desk. Truman read it for a moment, and looked up in surprise.

"Phillip Michael Gerard?"

"Word is our loveable one-armed friend escaped from that sanatorium upstate in the early hours of this morning. Considering his previous ties to this area, it might be best to be on alert for his reappearance."

Truman smirked slightly. "Forgive me, Albert, but though we made use of Gerard's services to find Laura's murderer, I don't believe Mr. Gerard was convinced of any crime. He's just a shoe salesman. Do you and Cole really think he's something to worry about with everything else going on?"

Albert sighed as shut his case. "Harry, I'm not going to pretend I believe any of this mystic, voodoo balderdash that Cooper promotes down here - but if you recall, Gerard did admit to going 'killing together' with this Bob, who Cole and our investigators assume must have referred to Leland Palmer. Since then, we have kept him in custody upstate until we are to determine his involvement, if any, of the crimes Palmer admitted to. We expect you and your deputies to be on full alert."

"Of course... " Truman muttered, putting the document aside. He then folded his hands, and looked up at Albert. "There is something else I want to ask you. A name you mentioned to me yesterday. Chester Desmond. He was the agent who investigated Theresa Banks' murder in Deer Meadow before Cooper did, right?"

Albert gritted his teeth and looked aside. He knew he would regret asking that. But still, Cole asked to be as thorough as he could in questioning Truman...

"Bonus points for getting to the bottom of that one, Sheriff. Sure you and the Native American Brain Trust were up into the small hours thinking of that one." Albert replied as he grinned at the Sheriff, and before Truman could respond, Albert added, "He was indeed. Desmond was one of our finest field agents."

Truman was clearly trying to maintain his cool and patience. Albert was impressed Truman was so determined to find the truth that he let Albert's remark slide. "Why was his name important?"

Albert then abruptly got up to leave. "As I said, it was nothing. And though it's still a classified case, I will say this much... "Albert stopped at the door.

"Desmond did resurface some months later, however, I regret to say he died in our custody not long afterward."

Well, judging from the shocked expressions exchanged between Truman and his deputy that revelation would keep them quiet for some time.

Albert smiled at them, "I'll make my own way out."

* * *

"Dr. Jacoby, I daresay you have a renewed vigour about yourself in recent times."

Jacoby grinned as he paced the floor beside Cooper's bed. The Fed sat opposite him on his bed in a dressing gown, his hands folded.

"Very much so, Agent Cooper, the fresh tropical air of Honolulu Bay on my recent vacation... and the loving embrace of my wife to come home to every evening since, has certainly done me the world of good."

Cooper grinned at him. Jacoby was rather getting sense the lawman was trying not to project a disaffected air about him as if Jacoby's counselling was not needed. If so, Cooper was not the only feeling it.

"Doctor... I understand my superiors had advised to check me up given their lack of success with the Bureau's own psychiatry team, and perhaps take advantage of our recent kinship. But honestly, what do you think?"

Jacoby stopped, and turned to face Cooper. He always felt Cooper would have been a fascinating subject in other circumstances, but certainly given what the man had personally been through these last few days, perhaps it was best to pursue such an obviously selfish endeavour.

Jacoby shrugged, "Honestly, it's hard to say, Agent Cooper. Since I've arrived, we've discussed recent affairs in Tibet, the quality of the hospital food, the dynamics of chess, coconuts and the outcome of the local Boy Scout's venture to the lake out by the Blue Pine Lodge. In my professional opinion, you're relatively fine. But... "

"Of course, my recent wound." Cooper finished, sub-consciously fingering the bandage around his forehead. Cooper then abruptly held up his hand. "Rest assured, doc! As I said to Gordon, Albert, and the Bureau, it was merely - "

Cooper then stopped, he eyes widening slightly as he looked past Jacoby.

Curiously, Jacoby slowly followed his gaze and noticed Cooper eyeing a nurse consulting with Doc Hayward with whom she had just run into out in the hallway. Hayward then walked on, and the nurse remained there for a moment, adjusting the ring on her finger and then walking on.

"Oh yes, eyeing up the female nurses," Jacoby chuckled, but he was surprised to briefly catch a flash of deep annoyance on Cooper's face. Directed at _him_? But it quickly subsided. Jacoby hastened to finish his sentence in the brief pause he had only realised was there.

"... but all perfectly healthy, Agent Cooper. Shows your mind is clearly focusing on more immediate matters. But I think eh... Miss Blackburn might take issue with your wandering eye, shall we say."

"Annie... " Cooper whispered. He narrowed his eyes at Jacoby. "How's Annie?"

"She's... fine... in fact, saw her back behind the counter with Norma at the Double R this morning. Quite the trooper, that gal. Especially after your terrible ordeal in the woods with that madman."

Cooper closed his eyes for a moment, and shook his head. "Of course..." He whispered to himself, then returned to his usual demeanour. "So, what shall the outcome of your report be, Dr. Jacoby?"

Jacoby sighed, shaking his head, but he could not help but smile. "Naturally a clean bill of health, Agent Cooper. Personally, I think the sooner you're out and about on the town once again, the better for all of us." He turned to leave. "Take it easy, Cooper."

Cooper nodded, radiating his usual chirpy nature. "Seeya, doc!"

* * *

"Good news brother - _ack_!" Jerry coughed as he entered the former janitor's closet, brushing away the cigar smoke that greeted him when he open the door. He waved the smoke away with a unfolded document he clutched in his right hand, crossing the room over to where his older brother sat on the other side of the desk. Very awkwardly getting on to the other side of the desk as he passed between the desk and wall, he stood in front of his brother, beaming widely and waving the document in his face. Ben barely reacted to it, still puffing on his cigar, and leaning on the right arm of the chair - still in the same position when Jerry entered.

Ben put out his cigar in the nearby ash-tray, sighing as he took the letter out of his brother's hand. As he read over it, he then grinned widely and looked up at Jerry. _Just what brother Ben needs to break out of this funk he's in..._

"So, I see the good doctor has agreed to pay my hospital bills. Quite the saint, wouldn't you say?" He reached over into his drawer, and pulled out a packet of cigars. He offered one to Jerry, who frowned and waved it away. _He sure has gotten fond of those again... _

Jerry nodded. "Couldn't agree more, Benjamin, too bad you're clearly still suffering from major shock and trauma! Why, even your wife thinks it's affected you so much that you can't run properly the hotel anymore!"

Ben chuckled, as he lit his cigar. Taking a long puff, he nodded, "Exactly, and affected my marriage too. Why this handsome sum simply can't cover that!"

Jerry laughed. Boy, it had been too long since they went scheming like this. Now if only they still had One-Eyed Jacks like before, they could simply drop in tonight in celebration and check out any new girls that Blackie lured to the brothel. But that only got Jerry depressed himself, and he forced his mind back to more immediate affairs. Jerry clicked his fingers in glee as he headed for the door, "I'll get ol' Kirkland on the case swifty, brother dear! ...after that, I'm hitting the kitchens and rustling you up some the chef's finest - "

Oh, Jer?"

Jerry turned around, just about to open the door. "Yes, brother o' mine?"

"That private dick got back to me. Regarding Donna Hayward."

Jerry's beaming expression quickly vanished. Of all the things to ruin a moment like this... "Oh geez, Ben... "

Ben waved his concerns away. "Now, you're made clear your concerns regarding my illegitimate daughter already. Nevertheless, regarding the damage I have done to her - and though I could care less for Hayward after my injury - I feel I must make amends to her and properly explain myself to her, if I am to salvage any kind of relationship with her."

Jerry was aghast at his brother's intentions. "God, Ben! You're running her father into the ground... don't you think we got enough to deal with Sylvia and her toy boy running the place??"

Ben's face considerably soured. "Jer, I'm well aware the challenge we have in dealing with Sylvia. But this is my own flesh and blood. I have to do this, and remember, I didn't ask you to come along with me on it. You have your own projects in this sub-division of ours Sylvia has so kindly bequeathed us."

Jerry just sighed again, shaking his head and turning around as he headed out the door - making sure to slam it behind him.

* * *

"Man, Snake, I was shocked as anybody you gave me a call for once. Not going incognito to the Great Northern's honeymoon suite with Mrs. Hurley?"

"Knock it off, Bobby. Sure you don't want a quiet night in with your girlfriend and your parents?"

The two best friends both laughed and gave a punch to the other's arm as they entered the Bang Bang Bar. As they looked around, there was practically no crowd in tonight. After all, there was no singer or band and there only appeared to be some of the usual patrons in the place. Surprisingly, no sign of Joey Paulson and crew anyway, thank God. Nevertheless, and despite it being a school night, Bobby felt it had been far too long since him and 'Snake' teamed up... even if for a few beers. Now, hopefully, the new barman - Jacques Renault's replacement - wouldn't ask them for IDs...

"I gotta hit the bathroom. Just get me the usual." Mike said, heading towards the mens' bathroom.

Bobby raised an eyebrow, but he couldn't help but laugh. "Thanks, man." _Guess it's up to me to get the beers, now._

Mike shrugged innocently. "That's for the crack about me and Mrs. Hurley." He laughed again as he pushed the door open.

Bobby sighed, trying to look as cool and collected as he could as he crossed the bar to pull up a stool. He noticed the barman had yet to approach him, and looked down the bar where he saw the man - a burly, bearded type - talking to another man leaning over the bar. The man didn't appear to be ordering a drink, and instead was directing the barman's attention to the leaflet he held in his hand. He was tall, balding guy with a strange air of authority about him. Bobby even thought he looked a bit too neatly dressed for this place. He concentrated on hearing their conversation.

"... yeah, that would have been Jacques. I heard that crazy father who killed his daughter got Jacques when he was custody. Bit of a nutty way not to put yourself under suspicion if you ask me, right?" The barman said.

"Mmm. So I doubt with all that chaos the last few weeks, no-one's paid any attention to the poster I left. Well, I'm now leaving another one. Would you mind hanging it in your men's bathroom... wherever you might deem it best?" The balding man talked with a bit of a drone in his voice.

"I guess. Hope you have some luck, mister... ?"

"Cable. Desmond Cable."

The man called Cable said his goodbye to the barman.

The barman nodded as he took the leaflet from Cable, and pinned it up behind the bar. Cable turned away from the bar and glanced at Bobby. Bobby flinched as he realised he was staring at the man, and turned to face the wall behind the bar. But Cable's interest was clearly piqued, and he walked over to Bobby. He leaned against the bar and craned his neck out to meet Bobby's eyes.

"Hello there. You a regular patron here, son?"

Bobby smiled slightly, looking up at him. "Uh, sure... why do you ask?"

The man reached into his coat and removed several leaflets. Bobby could see there was a headshot of man on them - but he couldn't make it out.

"Been looking for a man, an old friend of mine. He was up around these parts a few weeks ago. I went inquiring to did anybody see him, but the town seemed too caught up in that business over the murdered girl to remember. Now I got me some more flyers... " Cable then held out a leaflet to Bobby. "You see him?"

Bobby took the leaflet from him and froze. He struggled to maintain his cool composure. But there was no mistaking the moustached blonde man in the photo, with a wide, cocky grin. It brought back memories of another night that may as well been several lifetimes ago. And at the time it felt like he was another plane. When Bobby was with that murdered girl. And he felt the cold handle of the gun that shook in his hand when he fired that killing shot... _"Bobby. You. Killed. MIKE!" _

The drug dealer that Jacques recommended, because Leo had nothing to provide - and Laura wanted her fix. Now, all four were dead by an incredible twist of fate Bobby did not need to get caught up in.

Bobby quickly looked down over the text on the leaflet at the name to make it look his silence showed he had been reading. And there was the name. Cliff Howard. There it was. The man he killed with his father's revolver.

"Never met him." Bobby then - a little too hastily - shoved the leaflet back in Cable's direction. He was unnerved to find the man had clearly been studying him all this time. Very unnerving.

"Thank you, son. But you can keep it. Be sure to show it your friends, see do they remember anything... " Cable replied. His tone was far too breezy for Bobby's liking.

"Hey, Bobby? You order up those beers?"

Bobby them jumped as Mike tapped him on the shoulder.

"Geez! Alright, man!" Bobby then turned around to Cable to see he had already left Bobby to confer with the barman again at the far end. He hastily stuffed the leaflet into his pocket.

"What's that?"

"Never mind. Hey, barkeep - c'mon!" Bobby slammed the bar a little too loudly. Mike frowned at him.

The barman turned away from Cable and stood in front of the pair, and shook his head.

"Sorry fellas, unless you show me some ID, I'm just gonna assume you're underage and you're getting nothing. Except maybe a Coke."

Mike was out of his seat. "Hey, wait a minute!"

Bobby's eyes widened in realisation, aa he also snapped to his feet. He turned around and noticed Cable leaving through the front entrance. "That jerk just told you we were minors!" He then winced as he realised what he had just said.

The barman smirked while Mike glowered at Bobby. "That's right, mister. Let's just say the man's got experience dealing with little punks like you. Now, beat it before I call the sheriff!"

* * *

"Heya, Pete."

Audrey gave a wide smile, but her expression saddened as she slowly took note of the unconscious figure lying in the bed before her. She slowly walked over to him, and left the bouquet of flowers at the beside table. It barely looked like the Pete Martell she remembered. Eyebrows gone, and that familiar moustache barely there. And she certainly hoped those bandages weren't going to be permanent.

Audrey felt herself getting depressed, and forced herself to be more cheery. Certainly if it was possible Pete could hear her, he would appreciate it.

"Well, Pete, looks like Jack's coming home. Well, not his home as such - but to help out me and my father. He heard about the accident... " She then paused, taking note of his injuries. To her surprise, she had barely thought of the reason as to why the bank had exploded - she had figured it was just a random happenstance beyond anyone's control. A leaky gas valve or something. And yet, it had happened not too long after Pete and that man that looked so like Andrew Packward turned up...

"... what were you doing there, Pete? Who was that guy?" She reached out and clasped his hand, careful not to knock the drip needle out. "I think you would have told me. It might seem a little strange, but I'd like to think we were friends. After all, we got a little tradition of night fishing don't we?" That was a strange adventure, Audrey remembered. And to think it might have only been a once off...

She then felt herself getting upset, and she began to sob quietly. She then rose to her feet.

"I - I gotta go. I came here a bit too late, visiting hours are just up. I - I guess I'll see you." She then leaned over and gently kissed his forehead. As she turned to leave, she paused in the doorway. "I'll have the tackle box at the ready." She then walked out of the room.

He stirred. He opened his eyes. The details of the room slowly came into focus. Where was he? How did he get here? A strange, small spot of warmth seemed to linger on his forehead. And he had a sense there a familiar presence in his vicinity not too long ago.

And then Pete Martell spoke. But it was more of a rasp. He was in fact thinking aloud of the other man who had accompanied him on that afternoon to the Savings and Loan. "... _He's alive_!"

And as far as could ascertain in the next five minutes, those two words were all he could speak.

"_He's alive_? He's alive. He's... alive."

* * *

"Well Cooper, hate to say it, but you're in the clear." Hayward regarded the man who had begun unbuttoning his pyjamas. Now here was a model individual Hayward could genuinely admire. Not for the first time, Hayward though that the assured Cooper wouldn't be making such a mess of his personal life, and be desperate to stay away from home as much as possible.

Cooper gave him an affirmative thumbs up. "Glad to hear it, Doc! Now, if you'll excuse me, this pyjamas feel like they've become a second skin and they're hardly suitable evening wear for the lady whose company I'm very much looking forward to this evening - I think I'll go suit up now."

"Well, if you're getting dressed in your bathroom, you watch any falling mirrors or sharp objects. Good night. " The doctor chuckled as he turned to leave, leaving the other man alone.

* * *

Sarah Palmer stirred. She was dozing on the couch in her living room. Too often she had begun sleeping here.

She thought perhaps it best she get up, and go to her bed. But it was too lonely there. Too lonely everywhere. She was conscious of her daughter's homecoming photo nearby - as if to keep watching over her from beyond.

And then Sarah felt herself plunging into what she assumed was a deep sleep. But she sensed it was something more.

_The filthy, grey-haired man stood in front of a mirror in what appeared to be a small bathroom. He was adjusting an invisible tie that did not appear to be on his denim shirt. He moved his jowls, licked his tongue over his lips, and then smiled at his mirror image. _

Sarah immediately felt a rising panic in her chest, and she almost completely awoke. But she felt her eyes tighten as she struggled to maintain her concentration.

_The man then stepped out of the bathroom and into another room with a bed. He then walked towards the door to his right... _

* * *

He stepped out into the hallway. Looking up and down. He guessed Hayward had taken the elevator to another floor. Otherwise, there was no activity nearby.

* * *

Audrey pouted as she walked along the hallway, feeling restless and thinking of Jack. And then feeling guilty for thinking of Jack because Pete lay practically like a vegetable in a hospital bed not too far away. And that she had abruptly left him.

"Terrific." She sniffed, feeling tears beginning to fall. She then turned a corner into the corridor that would lead to the elevator –

- and there at the far end stood the old woman and boy from the lobby this morning.

"You!" Audrey cried out, blinking several times to make sure she wasn't imagining it. The old woman seemed to smile at her recognition. Audrey slowly walked towards them, and found herself rambling. "You just disappeared into thin air earlier... and ol' Mrs. Lanterman talked about you the other day, said you were going to 'call' out to me."

Audrey stopped herself, shocked at what she had just said. She had never made the association in her mind between what the Log Lady had said to her here in the hospital and the two individuals that now stood in front of her. Yet it seemed to instantly come.

The old woman spoke. "Your fire begins to burn. But be careful. Make sure it doesn't burn too suddenly. That was her mistake. But she wasn't entirely to blame, was she?"

The boy with the strange mask then snapped his fingers and pointed at something to Audrey's right. He whispered, and Audrey had to strain to hear what he said. But somehow his words were clear.

"It is yours. Keep it. But don't put it on. Not yet."

Audrey frowned, and then looked to what he was pointing at. She then realised it was her bandaged hand.

"Put what -" She began, but the two then quickly turned around and walked around the corner.

Audrey cried out after them, and quickly took off after them...

* * *

He quickened his pace. His footsteps echoing loudly along the corridor.

He saw a nearby trolley, and grinned widely. He let out a barking laugh.

Not even slowing down, he grabbed a long sharp scalpel from a tray on the trolley and pocketed it.

* * *

Sarah felt the tears burning down her cheeks.

_The grey-haired man was now laughing as he began to walk quickly down the corridor - bent on a destination and there was nothing in the way between him and his goal._

Sarah bolted up in the chair, stifling a scream. After all, who could comfort her? Her attention was then directed at the phone on the nearby table.

Frantically flipping open the address book, she grabbed the reciever and somehow, despite her fright, managed to dail the number quickly and accurately.

A familiar, comforting voice came on the other end. "Hello?"

"Garland! It's Sarah. You told me to tell you about whenever - y'know. Well... _it's happening again_!"

* * *

Phillip Michael Gerard cursed as he once again tripped and fell into the thick undergrowth of the woods again. Groaning as he struggled to his feet, he then wiped his right hand in his hospital gown as he continued on his path.

_Not long now..._ he thought. Though his journey through the woods was indeed proving more difficult (and certainly far longer) then he thought it would, this route was necessary in order to both avoid the authorities and reach his destination.

He then gasped, and winced, his right hand automatically reaching towards the stump under his left shoulder. His eyes then widened, and he then gasped.

"No, it cannot... be too late... ! They promised me! They promised... !"

He cried out again as he sagged to his knees, finally falling over face-forward into the undergrowth. Still clutching the stump, he then rolled onto his back and howled in agony. His scream then ended, and he continually began crying out for Bob as the wind blew through the trees, carrying his mortal enemy's name through the woods...

* * *

"Wait, please... !" Audrey called after the woman and boy as they turned a corner at the far end of the corridor. The lights began to flicker heavily, but she ignored it.

_How in the world did they get there so fast by walking?_ Audrey thought. Looking around, and noting the corridor was both deserted and quiet, Audrey picked up her own pace and ran after them, and spun around the corner, just as a strong burning smell hit her nostrils -

* * *

He grinned widely as he noticed the light in the nurses' locker room flicker off. Quivering with anticipation, he clutched the scalpel tightly in his hand as he noticed the door open - and Nurse Rhodes emerged.

Rhodes briefly turned her back to shut the door, and he quickly strode forward -

But then, he felt a strong impact from his right, and both the nurse and the other person shouted in surprise. At that moment, he distinctly sensed the scalpel leaving his hand, and clattering nearby...

* * *

"GOD DAMMIT!" Cooper roared, grabbing Audrey roughly by the shoulders and swinging her around to meet his eyes.

Audrey almost gasped when she saw the pure fury in the man's eyes and the deep sneer with which he regarded her. But in the moment she caught the expression, it quickly vanished, suddenly replaced by the distinctive wide grin and the goofy demeanour that the Fed usually carried about himself.

"Why, Audrey!" Cooper began, relaxing his grip on her. "What brings you to the hospital at this late hour?"

"I... "Audrey slowly regained her composure, and smiled slightly."I was hoping to get here before the end of visiting hours. I was going to see Mr. Martell, he's still in a coma."

Cooper's arms then slackened to his sides, and Audrey then realised she had been holding her breath this whole time. He puts his hands in his pockets, and nodded to himself.

"Ah yes, poor Pete! ...between the mill and the bank explosion, it's a wonder the poor guy's still in one piece! How is he holding up?"

"Um... excuse me?"

The two then turned to see the nurse that they had both collided with looking at them with a bemused expression. When she spoke, she seemed highly irritated - understandable given two complete strangers had for some reason just walked into her. "I'm not going to try and pretend to know what you're both up to, but visiting hours are over."

"Not to worry, nurse! I was just being discharged by Doc Hayward... and Audrey here was checking up on an old friend. And on a school night and all - " He turned to Audrey, and smiled at her, " - so unusual to find someone of her age who cares so."

Audrey felt herself blush as the Fed regarded her - though she felt slightly strange about his attitude a moments ago.

"Of course I care, Agent Cooper. The Stop Ghostwood campaign cares for all this town's citizens, even if they're sleeping with our arch-enemy."

Cooper shook his head at her, but he was still smiling. "Audrey, you're truly your father's daughter. And it might be wise whether to consider that a compliment."

Audrey chuckled, finding herself flashing him another brilliant smile. What was wrong with her? Jack would only be here in a number of hours! "I'm sorry, any correspondence related to aspects of the Stop Ghostwood campaign must be directed to our head-quarters. We take any comments very seriously. Did I mention we care for all the towns' citizens?"

Cooper shrugged sheepishly. Behind him, the nurse rolled her eyes and went on down the corridor. Neither of them took notice. "Well, I guess the words of an out-of-towner would barely suffice. A shame! I so hoped to press my case to a certain committee member... erm... if you excuse me, Audrey, if I recall my superiors have sent two agents to pick me up in a car outside. They'll be wondering where I am." He then quickly picked up his pace and walked past her.

"Uh... yeah. See you around, Agent Cooper." Audrey grinned after him, waving slightly. She then felt mildly stupid for waving, as he had his back to her and didn't even look back before he turned the corner.

It was hard not to quell the familiar rush of certain feelings whenever she saw the highly unique man who captured her heart so when he first arrived to town. Feelings that only grew from that night he rejected her advances so courteously, and then when he rescued her, and then when she sensed his gratefulness at finding the pictures of Dead Dog Farm in her father's office...

Audrey pouted to herself, "But it's all about Annie, now... " If Cooper's relationship with Annie bothered her that much, maybe it was time she began to be a bit more honest with herself about it... but then she recalled Jack was supposed to be returning to town tomorrow.

Sighing, she then turned to leave in the opposite direction, and jumped when she realised she had stepped on something.

Looking down, she noticed a small golden ring underneath her foot. Audrey frowned, and kneeled down. She picked it up and brought it up to her eye, examining it closely. It was a golden ring, that had a green emerald on it. On it was the outline of a diamond and two inverted triangles the design of which registered something with Audrey in that moment that she couldn't even begin to understand

"It is yours, but do not put it on... " She muttered to herself, and Audrey then shook her head. _But it couldn't be. _Who was that old woman anyway, and to start believing her crazy sayings? And clearly following Audrey around? Audrey chuckled as she stood up, looking at the ring in her hand. She had half a mind to hand it in at reception. Surely it belonged to someone.

Nevertheless, almost to her own surprise, Audrey found herself pocketing it.

* * *

_Laura began shivering as she stood up from her seat. She looked around at the curtain, and then noticed Dale._

_"W - w - where am I?!" She cried, backing away from him. She jumped as she noticed she had stepped back, hitting off the armchair in which she had appeared._

_Dale held up his hands in peace to the increasingly frightened girl. He was trying to focus his thoughts away from how in fact he most definitely knew this was the true Laura. "Laura, don't be frightened. I'm a friend. I'm as lost here as you are."_

_Laura narrowed her eyes at him, her demeanour relaxing slightly. "I remember you... you told me not to take the ring." _

_Dale smiled slightly, "That's right. So you must understand I'm someone who can help you.."_

_Laura took a step towards him, "I don't know how, but I know you're telling the truth. ...where are we?"_

_Dale sighed as he walked towards her, glancing at the surrounding room. "I honestly wish I knew. Maybe we can find a way out. " He extended his hand to her, and she hesitatingly took it. _

_Clasping each other tightly, the pair crossed the room together - and Dale lifted the curtain for them both to walk through._

_Walking along the familiar corridor with the armless statue at the end, Dale spoke again. "You said something of your... father?"_

_Laura shivered, moving closer to him. "I know, it wasn't him. It couldn't have been. It was Bob. ...I thought it would be over."_

_"When?"_

_Laura turned to him, tears glistening her eyes. "When I died. ...are you dead?"_

_Dale smiled grimly as they walked to the end of the corridor. He turned to her. "Not exactly. But like you, I'm looking for answers. I said I can help you... maybe we can help each other."_

_Laura frowned, searching his face. "You knew him."_

_"Your father?"_

_"Bob." Laura breathed. "He is the reason you're here."_

_Dale nodded, "It's hard to explain, but yes. But he's not here right now." _

_Laura nodded slowly, her face betraying her attempts to halt her rising panic. "So... what now?"_

_Dale spoke to her gently, squeezing her hand. "The best way to continue is to search through these rooms. As you might have already guessed, this place is a little strange. Some things won't make sense, a lot of things will even frighten you. But just remember, I'm always here at your side. Alright?"_

_Laura smiled slightly, and Dale turned away from her to face the opposite curtain. He then took a breath, and lifted the curtain, still holding on to Laura with his other hand._

_They both entered and scanned the room from the left to the right. Empty._

_They then looked from the left to the right - and both jumped._

_There suddenly lay the body of Windom Earle, lying facedown on the ground in the middle of the room. Laura then grabbed Dale's arm, and Dale looked at his companion and noticed her eyes wide with shock. He followed her gaze and noticed Chester Desmond slowly approaching them from the far side of the room. This was indeed the normal Desmond, and not the doppelganger that persued him from the previous room. His face carried a blank expression._

_He did not appear to acknowledge Dale or Laura as he walked right up to Window's body. He leaned over and looked at it curiously, tilting his head from head from side-to-side. _

_He then spoke in the dialect of the Black Lodge residents. But seemingly neither to Dale or Laura, and more to himself. "I know this one. I met him here and there. He is now empty." He then quickly looked up to the other two, and Dale felt Laura flinch beside him._

_Desmond opened his mouth to speak, but then winced as he clutched his torso with one hand - and noted the two holes in his chest, and one in his stomach. Which were currently heavily dripping with blood._

_"Cooper... " Desmond began, blood foaming out of his mouth as he did so. "... tell me, why did _you_ have to kill me?"_


	5. Chapter Four

Author's Note: The following takes place on on the night of Thursday, 30th March and from there, across the entirety of Friday, 31st March. The year is 1989.

**"I'm gone. Long gone. Like a turkey in the corn... " - Laura Palmer, _Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me_**

**CHAPTER FOUR**

He was late. _Not _advisable for a meeting of the Bookhouse Boys.

Andy Brennan gulped as he walked up the path to the doorway of the Bookhouse, the branches of the nearby trees brushing off him. Just as he stood before the door, he self-consciously brushed his hair and then knocked twice.

The door opened, and he was a met by a frowing Tommy 'Hawk' Hill.

"You're late, Andy."

Andy then quickly brought his right forefinger up to brush his right temple in greeting, wincing as he nearly poked his eye. "Gee, I'm sorry Hawk, I got held up at the Sheriff's Station. Lucy still ain't really talking to me, and I was trying to - "

"Forget it, come on in." Hawk interrupted, returning the Bookhouse salute with a brief roll of his eyes. "Harry's already started." He opened the door to emit Andy, and Andy shut it behind him, and then followed Hawk to the main seating area where already Harry was standing by the fireplace.

Sheriff Truman cleared his throat loudly, glancing briefly at Andy before returning his attention to the assembled group. "Good to see you, Andy..."

The other men of the town regarded Andy quite sourly as he awkwardly sat himself in the middle of a bench - only Big Ed and Joey Paulson nodded pleasantly in greeting to him from across the room. Once he was seated, Harry continued.

"As I was saying.... I know no-one is happy with the increased Bureau presence in town, but it's a necessary evil if they're to help us find Windom Earle and determine just what happened with Cooper."

Joey Paulson then spoke up, "Well, that's funny, Harry. You said we need them to find out what happened that night after the Contest, but word is you were there with Cooper the whole time. You were nowhere to be found during the bank explosion."

Andy then noted Harry looked uneasy, as most of the men in the room nodded in agreement with Joey's observation. Looking over Hawk, Andy noticed his fellow deputy too looked uncomfortable and glanced at Big Ed, while Ed kept his gaze on Harry.

Andy then cast his eyes down on his feet, and shuffled them. He figured most of the folks present would not be too happy to learn Harry only had told he, Big Ed and Hawk a vague story that wherever Cooper went to rescue Annie from Earle... it was somewhere not of this world. Andy closed his eyes briefly, and shook himself. His mother often told him it was best not to dwell on such things.

"That I was, Joey. But... I lost him in pursuit of Earle through the woods. You have to remember, this was a man desperate to rescue his girlfriend from a known psychopath. I assure you, my very best deputies were on the case with the Savings and Loan explosion. But it was imperative I locate Cooper and Earle as quickly as possible." Harry finished, and he seemed relieved to notice most of the men present seem satisfied with his answer. But Joey Paulson still looked unsure.

"Now... I hear Cooper is getting discharged tomorrow - and I've faith he will bring us up to speed more than any of Cole's men will. I think it's best to remember, though it's long been our duty to safeguard the evil in these woods... maybe it's best we make sure they stay there too."

And as soon as those woods left Harry's mouth, practically every man present nodded in simultaneous agreement.

* * *

She was up early. Usual with the early shift at the Double R Diner.

Shelley Johnson stood in the living room of the Briggs residence, taking a deep sup of coffee as she looked in the direction of the mantelpiece. Soon Bobby would be up to go to school. It was unusual to see her boyfriend going in a suit, but it was necessary as he was headed straight after classes to the Great Northern to attend to the whims of Ben Horne.

She smiled as she noted a picture she had stared at hundreds of times since the Briggs had kindly taken her in. (Only with one rule: She slept in the guest room). It was a picture from when Bobby was still a toddler, and his parents were on either side of him. A cake was out in front of him. Bobby look overjoyed, while Mr. Briggs was only beginning to bald. A happy family.

Would she ever had that anymore? Shelley wasn't sure. Certainly her family (with nine siblings) shunned her when she took off with Leo. She met him when he was calling through her little country town on his trucker travels. A town much like Twin Peaks. So charming, so polite, and just such a great guy to be around she knew she would gladly give up everything to be at his side. And so she did, agreeing to marry him the very next night when they took off on the road.

Only, she had not reckoned only Leo returning to Twin Peaks four days later, and she began as his wife - getting married in a rush ceremony not long after.

Norma had become the closest thing she ever got to a replacement mom. The kindly owner of the Double R took her in when she called to the diner late one went very windy April evening, nursing a large bruise on her cheek and in tears. Leo had taken off into the night after a ferocious argument.

Norma gave her a coffee and cherry pie on the house and offered to hear her troubles. At the end of that near two-hour conversation (and long after closing time), she offered Shelley a job. Shelley said Leo would never let her leave the house. Norma just smiled and said she'd look after it, and Shelley was surprised to see Big Ed Hurley call around the following morning, looking for Leo. After a brief conversation at their porch, (Leo had sent Shelley out of earshot), Leo had returned to their bedroom and muttered something about maybe taking that job at the Double R Diner that Norma had mentioned.

Which Shelley found strange, because she certainly had not told Leo about it.  
And now Leo was gone. It had been a brief ceremony and burial overseen by Reverend Brocklehurst, with only Shelley, Norma, Ed, Doc Hayward and his wife, Deputies Hawk and Andy present. As well as an old woman and her grandson that Shelley did not recognise. That was two days ago.

There was a large creak on the top step and Shelley jumped, almost dropping her mug.

"Bobby?" She whispered.

The person still proceeded slowly down the steps, and Shelley was shocked to see Garland Briggs walking slowly down the steps and into the hallway in an apparent daze. His eyes were barely open, and he was muttering something over and over.

"_Must show the custodian the way_.... _must show the custodian the way_.... "

As he continued to repeat this, he reached the bottom of the steps, and reached out to the hanger. He took his military cap and put it on his head, looking overall highly comical considering he was still in his dressing gown and pyjamas. As he unlocked the front door, Shelley quickly put down her mug and crossed the living room towards him.

"_The custodian_ - "

"Mr. Briggs?!" Shelley cried, grabbing his right arm and shaking him slightly.

Garland then started, and let out of a small gasp. He blinked several times and then looked down at Shelley.

"My goodness, Shelley... where was I... " He then reached up and touched his head - and proceeded to remove his cap, looking at it in his hand curiously. He looked at Shelley again.

"Was I... sleep-walking?" He sounded astonished at the very notion.

Shelley smiled sheepishly at him, letting her hand drop to her side. "Um... yeah. Everything alright?"

Garland gave awkward chuckle, putting the cap back on the hanger. He turned to her. "Why, I haven't sleep-walked since my days in the cadets. Used to drive my superior officer stir crazy. Oh, I'm fine..." He gently patted her on the shoulder.

As he headed for the stairs, he turned to Shelley. "It might do well to keep this between us, Shelley? No need to worry Betty."

Considering all the woman had done for her since she took her in, the thought of keeping an unusual incident relating to her husband like this secret made Shelley feel deeply uncomfortable.

"Uh... sure, Mr. Briggs."

He smiled at her. "Please my dear, it's Garland." He then turned around, and walked back up the staircase.

Shelley might have reminded him of what he was saying in his sleep, but she then realised she did not remember.

* * *

Two knocks on John Justice Wheeler's hotel room, and the man in question knew instantly who it was before the person entered.

Audrey Horne beamed at him over the tray of breakfast she carried as she entered the room. Laying it down on a nearby table, she dropped her hands to her side as she greeted him with: "The Great Northern Hotel prides itself on a most delightful and efficient early morning service during your stay here, now with reduced rates for returning customers."

Jack smiled at her, holding up a hand as he took a step towards her. "How about we skip that, huh?" Laying a hand on either shoulder, he leaned in to kiss her...

And she pulled away. Jack frowned. This was a little too familiar. "Oh? Bad breath?"

Audrey blushed slightly, smiling awkwardly as she looked away. "Mine actually. Jerry had us all try a new a new onion salad from Norway. I'm not exactly sure how he found it. Or how that constitutes breakfast. Mind if I avail of the free mouthwash that the Great Northern bestows upon it's most prized patrons?"

"But of course..." Jack mock-bowed as she walked towards the bathroom. He turned his back to her, looking out his window over the Falls.

"I hope you don't mind me calling around actually... " she called from the bathroom. "... but I wasn't sure when my father wanted to meet you."

"Now Audrey! Don't be ridiculous..." Jack laughed. "I was going to call you myself, as I don't have to meet your father until two o' clock actually. And considering it's currently, oh - " Jack looked at his watch. " - approximately three and a half hours till then, thought we might skip on up to the Falls, perhaps relax on our old picnic spot, and then how about an hour hike in the woods? You can tell me all of your recent troubles. ... Audrey?"

He turned around, to find Audrey standing before him - wearing nothing but the bathrobe that is provided in the bathroom. Jack whistled, carefully noting Audrey's hand on the loose strap holding the oversized garb around her body. "Though er, mind you... " he began, "... would be a shame not to let you finish what you started."

"For once... " she whispered, smiling at him seductively as she let the bathrobe fall off her.

* * *

Lucy Moran knew she simply should not be this indignant at this hour of the morning. And it truly did not do wonders for her blood pressure, especially with the new life within her. But she knew her fierce protest was well deserved considering the person standing before her in the reception area.

"Wellll, am I not allowed hang this up or must I take it up with the sheriff himself?"

"Miss. Lana. Budding. Millford - "

Lana let out of a girlish chuckle, interrupting Lucy's tirade, as she adjusted the rather expensive hat on her head. Before Lucy's indignant expression, in a velvet gloved hand, she dangled a flyer advertising a town meeting tonight regarding the recent events in the town, and particularly, a call for Sheriff Truman's resignation.

"Please, Miss Moran, I'm not a Millford again until I and the mayor wed this June... you know, I didn't think I could marry Dwayne, I felt I wasn't worthy of him after I lost that Miss Twin Peaks Contest... but y'know, those horrible events really put my life - and our love - into such a perspective that - "

"I've seen those, those... _things_... up around the town the last two days and I am not putting that up in this station!" Lucy snarled. To her satisfaction, Lana snapped the leaflet down to her side but then she held out a clipboard which she dropped onto Lucy's open pregnancy book. (_Expecting Great Things_, as recommended by Albert).

"Well, if I, as the lone voice of these disaffected citizens can't convince you, perhaps these signatories of this petition will! It was enough to convince the mayor!"

"... and I bet more besides... " Lucy muttered, sneering to herself as she looked down the list of names. Not surprisingly, most seemed to be a member of Ben Horne's businesses. And there was the signature that only further soured her mood. Dick Tremayne.

"What's that?"

Then, just as Lucy opened her mouth for another biting response to Lana, the familiar and welcoming face of Agent Dale Cooper poured 'round Lucy's window, rapping his hands in greeting on the glass. "Lucy Moran! If there's one thing that could make my morning even better than your delightful smile, is if there's any of that fine morning brew going!"

Lucy grinned widely at him. She would have rushed around to embrace him if not for the present company. "Black, just the way you like it! Good to see you back, Special Agent!"

Cooper gave her a thumbs up, and turned to Lana and waved slightly. Lucy rolled her eyes as she noticed the FBI man's manner suddenly seemed a bit off.

"Why, morning Lana, how are you?"

"Why, Agent Dale Cooper, town hero! Would you like to sign my petition?"

Cooper shrugged sheepishly. "Why Lana, I always hope to stand-up for the very best smalltown causes!"

Deciding the best way to save her friend was not go a jealous rant, and rather bring his attention to more immediate matters, Lucy pressed the intercom. "Sheriff Truman? You told me to tell you when Agent Cooper arrived?"

"I sure did. Send him 'in Lucy!"

Lucy smiled wickedly at Lana as she handed her back the petition. "Go right on in, Agent Cooper."

Cooper seemed strangely relieved as he quickly walked away. "Sure thing, Lucy! Er... Lana... "

Lana looked positively venomous as she grabbed the petition from Lucy's hand.

"Now, if you'll excuse me... !" Lucy finished, slamming the window shut on the future Mrs. Dwayne Millford.

* * *

"Harry? Come at a bad time?"

Harry's attention turned away from the individual sitting before him at his desk, and looked up at the familiar and welcome face of Cooper leaning in from the doorway. He could not help but smile, and it took considerable restraint not to give the man a more hearty welcome. He noticed too that Cooper carried a folder under his arm.

"Come right on in, Coop."

Cooper grinned and entered the room, his expression turning to curiosity as he noticed the man sitting in front of Harry's desk - in fact, it would not have surprised Harry if the Fed had already realised who the man in question was.

"Coop, may I introduce you to Desmond Cable. Mr. Cable, this is Special Agent Dale Cooper of the FBI."

The corner's of Cable's mouth tweaked slightly as he rose out of his seat to carefully shake Cooper's hand, scrutinizing him carefully. It was a reaction that was not lost on Harry.

"We've actually met I believe?" Cooper said, and it was hard not to notice Cable pull his hand away quickly as soon as he could. He now stood fully up out of his seat, not daring to take his eyes off Cooper.

"I believe so, Agent Cooper, around the time that poor girl Theresa was murdered?"

Cooper nodded, speaking in a careful tone. "Very true, Mr. Desmond. Still residing in the Deer Meadow area?"

Cable shrugged very slightly. "I come and go as I please." He then snapped his head around to Harry, "We done here, sheriff?"

Harry nodded, though it was hard not to contain his curiosity was to the frostiness either man regarded the other. "Yeah... I guess so, Desmond. We'll be in touch if we hear anything."

Cable gave him a small, cold smile. "See that you do, Harry." He turned to Cooper. "Agent."

"Good day." Cooper replied, not taking his eyes off Cable until the other man left the room.

Harry whistled, shaking his head as he walked around the desk. "Man oh man, is it just me or could you cut the tension with a steak knife in here?"

Cooper signed, turning to regard his friend. "I'm sorry, Harry, the former sheriff of Deer Meadow and I... have something of a history. Truth be told, I had him and all the deputies of his office indicted for drug-related charges."

Harry's eyes widened. "Y'know, I remember that... _that_ was Cole's office?"

Cooper nodded, "I was on related Bureau business at the time, connected to Theresa Bank's murder." Cooper then seemed slightly hesitant. "I regret to say that's all I can tell you, Harry."

Harry waved it away. "Let's leave all that for now, huh? ...It's good to see you finally back in the game, Cooper."

Cooper grinned, casting his eyes out the window. "And it feels good, Harry! I think it was Phaedrus who said 'The mind ought sometimes to be diverted that it may return the better to thinking'." He then chuckled, "As fun as I can imagine it to be having half the Bureau running around town."

"Well, surprisingly, Gordon's been very helpful since we got here. He's no shortage of praise for my office to the governor - which is certainly a relief given all the troubles these last few days... and I don't just mean Earle." He was quick to add that last part.

Cooper cast his eyes out the window again. "So much has happened in this place, Harry... I can't help but feel I've brought it down on you all. If only I was more vigilant, perhaps - "

Harry knew he must interrupt. "Coop, that's a load of moose crap. You came here to investigate Laura's murder, not even you could have guessed where that journey was going to lead. We'll pull through it... we always do!"

Cooper seemed to snap out of it, smiling sadly to himself. "That we do...." He then shook himself, returning to the folder under his arm. He held it up. "Harry! You'll be pleased to hear Gordon has appointed me your official envoy while he and the Bureau have set up shop out by Glastonbury Grove." Cooper then grinned, with a characteristic glint in his eye. "I'm sure you both you and Albert will be most devastated."

Harry tried to laugh it off. He was already feeling good about returning to their familiar patterns of working. "Well, the nicest thing I can say is that we'll be lucky to be on each other's Christmas card lists this year."

* * *

"And... you can say nothing else?"

Pete gulped, closed his eyes, and opened his mouth. ".... "

Catherine held her husband's hand, watching him carefully in anticipation. "Go on, Peter... "

"Hhhhhhhhhhh.... "

Catherine sighed.

".... E'S ALIVE!" Pete finished, falling forward with the full energy of what saying that phrase took out of him. He then fell back onto his pillows.

"Oh, for heaven's sake!" Catherine cried, dropping his hand, and turned away from him towards the wall.

Pete's face fell, almost shrinking into the pillows. His expression read: 'Sorry, poodle.'

Catherine shook his head. "Oh, it's fine... fine... honestly, just rest up... " She then proceeded to unnecessarily fix his covers. It was a scene that had more or less repeated itself over the last four and a half hours since she had arrived at the hospital this morning to find her husband sitting up and beaming at her from his bed. Still heavily bandaged, those eyebrows gone, and incapable of saying anything but _'He's alive_!' since her arrival. The last of which of course was to the utter bafflement of Hayward and the other doctors. Pete seemed relatively sure of his surroundings, but communication had definitely stalled, as he was unable to write due to his other injuries.

She sat in the chair beside him, leaning her elbow on the arm of the chair and sighing. "People are simply going to get more suspicious if that's all you can say... "

"He's.... alive." Pete sniffed, tears beginning to form in his eyes. And so began another recurring trait of her husband since this morning. But mourning the definite and final death of her brother was something she had considerably far more sympathy for.

Catherine reached up and rubbed his shoulder. "It's alright Peter dear.... " Her own voice began to break.

"Catherine?"

She looked up to find one of the last people she wanted to see, (still beat Ben by a far margin mind). Deputy Hawk stood in the doorway - looking at them both. She noticed her husband's demeanour begin to brighten with the other man's presence and Hawk returned the smile in Pete's direction.

Hawk looked over at Catherine his expression suddenly unreadable. "Have I come at a bad time?"

Catherine quickly wiped her eyes. "Oh no, just simply revelling in the fact my husband has returned to me. Can I not spare him these tears of joy?" She ignored Pete's sudden frown at her.

Hawk shook his head. "No-one's asking you not to do that, Catherine. I was just in the hospital on another matter and thought I might spare you two a visit. How's he doing?"

"Doing well... " Catherine hesitated. How much had Hayward told the sheriff and his deputies? "We're hoping his speech will return soon, he certainly seems aware of his surroundings."

Pete beamed nodded vigourously in Hawk's direction, much like a kindergarten child trying to please his teacher. "HE'S ALIVE!" He cried. Then his eyes widened in shock, and he fell back onto his pillow.

Hawk narrowed his eyes, and looked at Catherine again. "Everything alright?"

Catherine shrugged. "Crazy mood swings. Strangest thing. One minute he's referring to himself in the third person... and next, a heavy bout of the blues. The good doctor supposes it's shock."

Hawk's gaze lingered on Pete for a moment, but the old lumberjack would not meet the deputy's eye. "Well... he's had a very traumatic and unusual experience. We're still investigating it."

"See that you do." Catherine finished, and she gently patted Pete's arm. She felt strangely guilty as he was gazing up at her most fearfully.

"I'll keep you updated." Hawk replied, turning to leave. "And if he says anything else.... please let us know."

* * *

"I was wondering when Harry might send one of you over."

Hawk found Will Hayward in his office, where the doctor was buried in a mountain of paperwork. If anything, Hawk thought his friend's general appearance looked more haggard and tired than usual.

"You know, I hope these tri-weekly town disasters aren't a regular thing... " Hayward smiled grimly, looking over his glasses at Hawk as he brushed a folder aside. "You here about those security cameras, Hawk?"

Hawk frowned. "Cameras, doc?"

"Had to get the company that installed them down here this morning. Looks like around eight of clock last night three floors of them knocked out for some reason. Showed nothing but static."

Hawk shook his head, "Don't reckon that's anything to be worried about, Will... I'm actually here regarding Ben Horne."

Will's shoulders sagged. "I thought as much. I know I said I'd call down to the station, but - "

Hawk sat in the seat in front of his desk. He smiled at him gently. "Not to worry, doc. There are crazy times. I heard just this morning there's a citizen's group led by the mayor's fiancée putting together a petition calling for the resignation of Harry and all us deputies. Apparently Dwayne Milford is holding a meeting tonight at the town hall, I already saw flyers out in the lobby for it."

Hayward looked up at him, his eyes widening. Thankfully someone else's troubles distracted him, if only for a moment. "Good lord! I must have missed that. You can't be serious?"

Hawk shrugged, "Well, lucky, the governor won't hear it. Seems Bureau Chief Cole keeps telling him how good our co-operation with the Feds have been."

Hayward smiled. "That's nice. It really wouldn't be the same kinda town without Harry and all of you watching out for us."

"I appreciate that. And I also appreciate how much you've come through for the Bookhouse Boys, particularly the other night."

"How is Agent Cooper?"

"I guess he's doing well. No suspicious face dives into mirrors or erratic behaviour yet."

"I'm sure the Bureau will take good care of him...." There was a pause. Hayward then spoke next, "Shall I come down later and make a statement regarding Ben Horne?"

Hayward shrugged. "Best get it over with. We can't have any accusations I'm getting special treatment from the sheriff, last thing you folks need."

Hawk removed the documentation from his pocket, "Well, for your sake, Harry's willing to resolve this quickly."

* * *

"Lucy?"

Lucy jumped slightly, and turned to see Andy Brennan standing before her in the sheriff's station lobby. She had been pouring water into the lobby's plants, then jumped slightly when she noticed she had been tipping some of the contents of the water can onto the carpet. She then let out of a small cry, and set it on the ground beside her. She then looked up at Andy, her face reddening.

"Um... " Andy began, "... I've been thinking about the other day and all, and I feel so crummy about making you think I don't want the baby and all, I guess I just got ahead of myself... " His voice broke slightly, and he then took a gulp and went on, "What I'm saying is... I want to do right by you... the both of you!"

Lucy could not help but smile at him, and he seemed to greatly appreciate it. "I forgive you."

"Aw... cool!" Andy smiled back, and took her hands in his. He leaned over and gingerly kissed her on the forehead. "Lucy.... "

Lucy closed her eyes, and whispered, "... oh, Andy..."

"... could I get all those books back? In twelve years, I've never missed a return and some of 'em are due back tomorrow!"

Lucy's eyes snapped open, and she looked up at the father-to-be. He blinked, seemingly puzzled by her response.

"You can pick them up - in my OFFICE!" she yelled, pulling her hands back and promptly stepping on his right foot.

"Humph!" She said to herself, turning her back on him as Andy grabbed his foot, and began hopping erratically.

"T-Thanks... Lucy...."

* * *

"You know, I have been meaning to say something."

"What's that?" Cooper looked up from his mouthful of doughnut. Before them, in the conference, were various maps, files and photographs of Earle. They had been trying to accurately guess his movements all morning.

Harry knew he could potentially risk his friendship with Cooper pushing this, but after the last few days, he had to do it.

"When he was interr – _questioning _me, Albert let slip a name, and wouldn't give me the story behind it. I was hoping you might be able to enlighten me."

Cooper frowned, almost smirking. "Doesn't sound like Albert. What was the name?"

"Agent Chester Desmond? All Albert told me was he disappeared while investigating Theresa Banks' murder, and died when he turned up again."

It was hard not to catch the haunted look on Cooper's face the moment Harry gave him the name, it almost reminded him of whenever the Fed wrestled with the matter of Window Earle. Cooper took a slow gulp of the doughnut piece.

"Agent Desmond?"

Harry realised it was perhaps something Cooper did not wish to talk about. "Coop, if you want to leave it, that's fine – "

Cooper held up a hand, shaking his head slowly. "Harry, I do have a duty to uphold Bureau secrets, but I do too have a duty to help you. Why Albert thought it was best bringing up Desmond is a matter I'll discuss with him, but perhaps it's best I share the story with you. You've been reduced to the Bureau's lapdog these last few, "

Cooper turned in his chair towards him, narrowing his eyes as he thought back.

"Desmond was one of the finest agents in our department. Now, as you've probably guessed, my department deals with a specific sort of work. That... I can't divulge. But I can tell you that Desmond was investigating the Banks murder before my involvement. In fact, my involvement was a result of his disappearance. The reason behind his disappearance is something no-one has solved."

Cooper then turned away from Harry, furrowing his brow as if something still troubled him. Harry felt it was almost as if a part of Cooper's brain had never stopped trying to figure out the why of Desmond vanishing, and Harry was witnessing that part of his brilliant investigative mind switching on.

Cooper waved it away, and continued. "We found him eventually, or rather he found us. Strolling up to our reception six months later, and requesting a meeting with Gordon. All he could tell us was he was in the trailer park in which Theresa resided, to suddenly find himself standing outside our offices in the present. Needless to say, following him being debriefed, Gordon put him on leave."

Cooper stared into space, his expression saddening. "The mistake was thinking he was alright to be in contact with regular people as we monitored him. No sooner had we set Chet up in a house with his sister and her niece, then Gordon's office got a call from the surveillance team. Desmond had taken a large butcher knife and stabbed them both to death in their sleep."

Harry's jaw dropped. "Why?"

Cooper shook his head. "We'll never know. I had gotten to know Chet rather well, so I led the group of agents who stormed the house, hoping I could reason with him. Somehow, no sooner had I entered the living room, he had one of my colleagues at knife point."

Harry had an awful feeling where this was going.

"I shot him, Harry. Me alone. Three shots. He was dead within seconds."

Harry reached out, and laid a hand on my shoulder. "I shouldn't have asked."

Cooper tried to return to his usual cheer. "I had to make a choice. That other agent survived. In our line of work, it's the utmost achievement in our pure and just goals that matters; not always the method of getting there."

* * *

"Heya Annie, is your sister around?"

Annie looked up from her order from Slug to see the rather tired figure of Big Ed standing at the counter. She thought it was no coincidence that Ed was here on her older sister's shift.

Norma gave her a strict instruction not to tell anyone of her whereabouts, but Annie felt her sister owed Ed Hurley better. "Sorry Ed, she's at a court hearing for her divorce. She couldn't get anyone to cover her shift, so I offered."

She could sense Ed's disappointment, but the man smiled at her. "Back working already, huh? You Blackburn girls."

Annie laughed. "She wasn't too happy either, but I was in a convent for a number of years. I'll take as much of this real world activity as I can get."

She poured him a coffee – ignoring Slug's glare for not following up on her order, and laid it on the counter in front of him. "How's Nadine?"

Ed shrugged, starring into his mug. "Aw, no better. Doing up a load of crazy diagrams for her drape runners, then wondering when the prom's coming. I think she's not quite over them high school years yet."

Annie gently patted his hand. "Things will get pick up with you and Norma, Ed. All these glum happenings lately remind me of something Eliot once wrote, 'The golden moments in the stream of life rush past us and we see nothing but sand; the angels come to visit us, and we only know them when they are gone'."

Ed looked up at her, marvelling at her words. "Ain't that the truth. I appreciate that darling, I really do."

"Looking glum there, Ed! That'll be the usual cup o' Joe, Annie!" There was no mistaking Dale Cooper's gleeful hello.

Though she was grateful to see him, Annie was clearly surprised at his presence. "Aren't you and Harry prepping a search for... a search in the woods?" Ed felt such a pity for the girl she could not bring herself to say her former kidnapper's name.

"Well, might have hit the paperwork a bit too early since my release – decided I needed to lighten the load."

Annie grinned as she saw her boyfriend walk through the diner door. Giving her a little wave as she went to the back to get another cup, Cooper took a stool beside Ed.

"Let me guess. Nadine?"

Ed nodded, "That's right. I guess Harry told you the latest developments?"

Cooper sighed, clapping Ed on the shoulder. "You two will pull together. If I've learnt anything about your wife, Ed, she's a lady of unique determination."

"Sounds like my Nadine." Ed tried to smile, but shook his head. "Aw heck, just when life is on an upswing, James leaves, and it's back to square one with Nadine. And now the divorce proceedings between Hank and Norma... " He stopped himself short, not wanting to ponder the outcome of that for his girlfriend. Thinking about it, it would be the justice system to give a felon like Hank a chance to financially ruin Norma... "... let's just say, love can drive a guy just plain nuts at the worst of times."

Annie walked over to Cooper and poured his coffee. He grinned at her as he took the mug in his hand. Ed couldn't help but feel for the blossoming couple as Cooper stared after her as she walked down the counter to take Toad's order. "Oh, I don't know Ed, I can think of a few redeeming qualities about it."

* * *

Eileen Hayward sighed as she frantically pushed her wheels toward through the living room towards the phone. It was rare she got a phone call when the girls were in school...

"Hello?"

Eileen then winced as it sounded like there was a strong wind gust blowing into the speaker on the other end.

"Mom?" There was no mistaking who it was.

Eileen felt her heart began to race. "Donna?!"

Her daughter began to speak, but the wind again blew into the speaker and Eileen missed her daughter's reply. However, she caught the end of Donna's sentence, "... you have men following me! I told you that night at the hospital I need to get away for a while, but – "

The wind blew into the phone again, and Eileen began to feel an increasing sense of urgency. "But Donna, are you alright? Did you find – "

Finally, Donna began to sound clear. "I have to go. But please, Mom, I don't need this!"

"Donna!" Eileen cried, but the line went dead. Eileen slammed the phone down letting out a cry of frustration. She buried her face in her hands, and began thinking back over the previous all-too-brief conversation.

_Men following me and James_. Neither she nor Will would have the money to hire people to find Donna, but Eileen had a good guess just who would.

"Ben."

* * *

"Hold on there, Jennings! I said, HOLD IT!"

Hank Jennings gritted his teeth as he held back, and the other prisoners returned to the prison building as they filed away from the yard. Some even smirked at him as they did so assuming this did not bode well for Hank. Such was life in the men's penitentiary, just outside Seattle.

Hank turned around, and smiled at the approaching prison officer.

"Why Officer Lipton, should I be worried? Our candlelit dinner at the Space Needle's not till later..." Hank grinned, his cocky demenour betraying his urge to hurl numerous foul obscenties towards the officer approaching him.

Lipton seemed to similarly be restraining himself, certainly there was no love lost between he and Hank since the latter arrived here at the prison. The man crossed the yard, and stood in front of Hank, his right hand clutching a revolver at his side.

"Walk over to the fence, and wait one minute." He whispered.

Hank frowned. "Huh?"

"Just do it!" Lipton whispered in a harsher manner, and he then walked past Hank towards the door - slamming it behind him.

Hank shrugged, taking the domino from his pocket, and flicked it over and over beneath his thumb. He stood before the fence, and saw nothing but a small field and the woods beyond. As he put the domino in his mouth, he turned his back to the fence for a moment...

"Hello there, Hank." A familiar voice drawled.

Hank jumped in surprised, spitting the domino onto the ground in front of him.

"The former Sheriff Desmond Cable of Deer Meadow! As I live and breathe!" Hank laughed, pushing his hand best he could through the fence.

Cable stared at the two and a half-fingers Hank could push through the fence, and merely tugged them in greeting. "Certainly been a while."

"It most certainly has!" Hank replied, reaching down and picking up his domino. "Y'know, funny thing, I kept meaning to catch up to you when I first got out of here... but couldn't find any of trace of you."

"No wonder. Got me a new venture down South America that kept me busy. Couldn't even catch up that punk who got Cliff out by Ghostwood. Thought I could count on you and the late Leo Johnson to hold the fort. They're all dropping like flies as of late, wouldn't you say?"

Hank nodded. It was not a subject he liked to give much thought on. "Oh yeah. Leo. Jacques. Bernie. ...and Jean, whose acquaintance I finally got to make before he decided to shoot it out with the Feds. He got the jump on me outside One-Eyed Jacks there whilst I was on an assignment for Ben Horne. I tell you, mightn't have looked good if he didn't realise I was the guy considered his best supplier around town before I took the fall for Andrew Packward's death. Whoa... South America you say?"

"Not right now." Cable waved the question away, looking behind Hank to ensure no-one else was present. "But yes, Jean... most regretable. Interestingly enough, I happened to run into one Agent Cooper at the Sheriff's Station in Twin Peaks today."

"Cooper? Why were you around my hometown then?"

Cable gave him a small smile. "Certainly not for the local colour anyhow. The place is crawling with god damned Feds."

"Yeah... heard about that, apparently they're on the hunt for some lunatic in the woods... "

"God only knows." Cable spat into the dirt beside him. "You hear all sorts of stories about cockamany tests there by the military in the woods... nothing good will come of it."

Hank smirked. "Well, Des, nice to see you've no love lost there for our pals in the good ol' Federal Bureau of Investigation. Still doesn't answer my question, or the point of this meeting."

Cable looked around, briefly glancing at his watch. "Not much time.... let's just say, I'm here to propose a new business venture."

"In the face of the deaths of nearly all our old drug dealing buddies in the space of a month? Not to say it isn't good to see you, Des, but count me out. Determined to be on my best behaviour if I'm to beat this rap. Hearing in three days, and on-going divorce proceedings – had the first one today in fact. A lot on my plate."

Strangely, Cable did not seem fazed. "Hmm... disappointing. Pardon me while I tie my shoe lace... " He then kneeled down and proceeded to do so, while Hank stared into the trees beyond

Hank went on, "Yeah... they got me on a crazy assault charge... when the deputies picked me up, you'd think I got assaulted... "

"How did that happen, anyway?"

Hank grimaced. "Uh.... a bus hit me... "

"In answer to your question, I was going to the sheriff to see had they anything on Cliff's disappearance. Truman's got nothing. But I got our boy."

"Oh? Anyone I know?"

Cable stood up. "One Bobby Briggs?" Hank's eyes widened in surprise and he then noticed sweat on the other man's forehead, and looked down. He noticed a rather large-hole had been pulled at the bottom of the fence, enough for a full-bodied man to squeeze through.

Hank looked up. "'Cable Bends Steel'! You crazy, brilliant bastard!"

"Held this one off for long enough, what say you help me a little with this Briggs boy... and then I cut you on my new business down south?"

Hank laughed again and quickly bolted underneath the fence. Cable helped him to his feet and the two then ran side-by-side into the trees beyond.

"You... didn't say Des... where you're held up?" Hank asked in between breaths.

"My step-brother's place... just outside Twin Peaks... my cars parked just outside the trees here... a little away from the prison..."

As soon as Hank was seated in the passenger's seat of Cable's beat-up Volkswagen he noted all the supplies packed into the trunk and back seat. He then looked down and noticed a colourfully wrapped package in his lap.

"Just a little something to celebrate your newfound freedom." Cable explained, as he started up the engine. Hank unwrapped it, revealing a new set of dominos.

"Aw, gee, I'm touched Des... " Hank laughed, opening the box to have a look inside.

"Figured it was the only thing you might miss." Cable replied, taking careful note in the rear-view mirrior of the prison behind him. Everything seemed fine so far.

"Speaking of which..." Hank glanced behind them at the prison. "How do you suppose we're getting away to our happy little getaway?"

Cable let out a rare chuckle. "... not to worry, Lipton owes me when I helped him beat a drunk driving charge. We got at least a ten minute start."

Just as the car turned a corner, the alarm from the prison suddenly sounded. Hank looked at his friend, who still held his eerily calm demenour.

Cable merely frowned, and glanced at his watch. "Hm. That was barely two. Remind me to collect on that sometime."

Hank let out a booming laugh, clapping his old friend on the shoulder, as the car quickly considerably up speed.

"Y'know Des, that reminds me... there's a certain gas station mechanic I might be meaning to catch up to... though might be best to get him away from home... "

"Whilst he's in the arms of a certain diner owner, maybe?"

Hank nodded slowly. "That's what I like about you, Des, you're all vision!"

* * *

No sooner had Cooper returned from his brief sojourn to the Double R, (and in happier form then when he had left), Hawk then came rushing into the conference room.

Both Cooper and Harry looked up from the rather large map. "What's up, Hawk?"

Hawk indicated back in the direction he came. "Lucy just got an emergency call in. It's Gerrard."

Cooper stared at him intensely. "Where?"

"From Bob Lydecker. "

Harry frowned. "The vet? Wasn't he a friend of his?"

Cooper snapped his head at him, grinning widely. "Waldo the bird, Harry!"

Hawk nodded. "Exactly. You know where his vet practice is based? Well, turns out he lived above the convenience store beside it, and guess who turned up on his doorstep today?"

* * *

Audrey bid John goodbye as she shut his hotel room door behind her. He seemed surprised at her reluctance to stay with him and go to the town meeting instead, but Audrey found herself thinking little of quality time right now.

Her father's troubles... her repeated encounters with that old woman and young boy... And truth be told, she was still a little bothered by Agent Cooper's instant, irrational anger at her presence at Calhoun the night before. But she swore to herself not too long ago she wouldn't dwell much on the matter of a certain Special Agent. Even after all they had been through together, it was almost like he didn't care about her even as a friend anymore. Especially after meeting Annie Blackburn.

_You really need to get a grip, grow up, and move on_, she realised, and not for the first time. However, as soon as she entered the welcoming lobby, thoughts of Cooper were forgotten when Audrey was suddenly struck by the rising commotion.

"You're an animal, Ben! You take people, and just bleed them till their dry! Ruining families, destroying lives!"

"That is an outrageous claim! You bet my attorney will be swiftly informed of these developments! I've half a mind to enforce a restraining order on you!"

"Ah, bring him on!"

A crowd had gathered around a confrontation in the centre of the floor between her father and Will Hayward.

Her father was being pushed back by an increasingly-harassed looking Richard Tremayne, while Jerry stood in front of the two of them in a ridiculous-looking judo defensive stance. Hayward was being restrained by a rather frantic-looking Bobby Briggs. Audrey pushed herself towards the front, where Jerry started waving his hands in front of the doctor in a mocking gesture.

"Now you can't just show up shooting off your mouth, and pushing a respected citizen like my brother around, doc! Now, how about we all just - "

Hayward snarled, and Jerry very visibly jumped back. Audrey was also stunned to see the pure rage on Hayward's face it seemed so unlike the kindly physician. Judging from the expressions of some of the people nearby hers was a mutual feeling.

Hayward shouted. "Ben knows exactly why I'm here! I want him to stop those private investigators following Donna!"

Jerry seemed genuinely surprised, and looked around to Ben, who quickly glanced at the ground and muttered something.

Bobby relaxed his grip on Hayward, who was no longer wishing to rush at Ben, in fact, Hayward seemed satisfied his revelation had the desired effect. As Hayward shrugged Bobby off, he brushed off his coat, he seemed to be preparing to leave. But not before one final remark. "God help me, Ben, if she never comes home... maybe I won't be so quick to rush you to the emergency room next time."

That was enough for her father, who immediately knocked Richard Tremayne aside and now had to be halted by Jerry, who kept a firm grip on his brother's shoulders.

"You CAN'T threaten me like that! YOU CAN'T!" Ben roared, but Hayward didn't seem intimidated. He merely smiled before tipping his hat, and left through the hotel entrance.

Jerry was trying to calm Ben down, and Audrey decided now was best to intervene with no more fists flying. However, she froze as a hand was laid on her shoulder.

Turning around, and seemingly paying little heed to the noise of her father, was the Log Lady. Audrey still could not get used to Margaret's peering gaze. As before, the Log Lady laid a hand on her log and narrowed her eyes as she looked down at it.

"For better or worse," she began, and looked up at Audrey. "... you are the custodian. You will understand soon. The fallen one will find you before the end."

"Custodian?" Audrey whispered, and then she realised she was suddenly clutching a certain object in her pocket. "Of the ring?"

Margaret smiled, regarding her with a proud expression. "Like smoke, the doubt begins to rise from your mind. Your power - your fire - begins to grow. This can only serve you well. But don't put it on yet."

"But... I still don't understand, where is this going?" Audrey asked, but just as she did she was knocked aside as her father barged past her on his way to his office.

"Sorry, darling," Ben said to her in after-thought, not even looking at her as he continued arguing with his brother. (Richard Tremayne followed close behind with a pained expression, and clutching the document outlining his latest idea for the Ghostwood campaign). "Oh, just you wait, Jer, that hick Truman can't ignore Hayward issuing a direct threat!"

"But it's hardly gonna help your case, Ben! I thought you were gonna leave it alone with that Donna girl for a while..."

Bobby sighed, turning his head to Audrey as he walked by. "You know, I'm beginning to think I miss too many classes for this job."

Audrey smiled at him as the argument between the brothers Horne carried on down the corridor towards the janitor's closet, but Audrey wasn't paying attention. She looked around, but wasn't surprised to see the Log Lady had disappeared.

She reached into her pocket, and removed the ring, rubbing her fingers over the green emerald and gold symbol.

_The custodian..._

* * *

"Y'know, I still understand why we must consider Gerrard a danger... " Harry began, as he and Cooper emerged from the squad car. (Hawk was already waiting for them at the convenience store entrance). "... I know he acted erratic when we had him in custody, but why all this worry?"

Hawk then joined them in step as they crossed the back of the convenience store and came into sight of the steps that led to Bob Lydecker's apartment. Cooper sighed. "I think you forget, Harry, he knocked out one of your own deputies to make good on his escape from the Great Northern that time. And two days ago, he knocked out two guards and gave a 62 year-old nurse a nasty black eye when he escaped from our federal hospital upstate."

Harry winced, as they climbed the steps, Cooper in the lead. "Yeah... I guess that might be cause for concern."

"Gordon's orders, Harry." Cooper reminded, then knocked three times, his hand resting on his gun. When there was no reply for a few moments, Cooper listened to the door. He knocked twice again, louder.

"Mr. Lydecker! FBI and local sheriff, we're here following your phone call... please, open up!"

Suddenly, there were shouts, followed by a thump and sudden smash.

"Help! Help!" Those cries from inside were undoubtedly Lydecker's.

The three men looked at each other, and Cooper quickly shot at the door knob and flung the door open - Hawk was right behind, followed closely by Harry.

As Harry entered, he quickly took of a rather ill-kept apartment. The room in question was clearly a sort of living room, with poorly painted walls, and only a few mismatched chairs around it and a green formica table in the centre. A short, rather stoutly-built man lay in a far corner, a smashed window behind him. He was nursing a bloody wound on his balding head. Undoubtedly Lydecker.

Cooper quickly tended to him, but Lydecker brushed away his help. "Don't mind me! ...he jumped from that window! Probably making a break for the woods!"

"Harry!" Cooper called to the other men, and Harry shouted an affirmative and ran back out the front door, his gun drawn. Tearing down the steps, followed by the other men, he then took off to his left around the side of the convenience store from where Gerrard must have landed. Harry then heard the sound of a feet on gravel, and noted a stoned pathway twirling through the trees, lined by different plants.

As soon as he entered the trees, he noticed Gerrard in the distance as he turned a corner and out of sight.

"MR. GERRARD!" Harry cried, quickly picking up the pace. He continued to follow the pathway, though he was increasingly doubtful Gerrard had stuck to the route.

To his amazement, the path abruptly stopped. Harry almost tripped as he skidded to a halt. The gravelled path came to an end before a small headstone at which Gerrard was know kneeling before. His right hand reached out and brushed the stone. As Hawk and Cooper came up beside him, Harry could make out sobbing from the man, and whispering, "Gone... gone..." over and over.

Harry glanced to the other men, nodding to them as he lowered his gun. Hawk and Cooper did likewise, the former looking to Harry as he carefully took a step toward Gerrard.

"Mr. Gerrard?" Hawk said, gently laying a hand on the man's shoulder.

Gerrard shook as he looked up at Hawk, his head turning to Harry and then Cooper. His sobs abruptly stopped, but he still continued to tremble slightly.

"I'm sorry..." He whispered, returning his attention to Hawk. "... poor Lydecker, I didn't mean to hurt him so... just that place, so many terrible... evil.... memories..."

"Why did you come here?" Harry asked, trying to get a closer look at the headstone beside Gerrard.

Gerrard looked at him, "I thought he would be here... I don't know why... my mind's nearly lost... and it's been so long... since my dog died.... "

"Dog?" Harry frowned.

"Yes, dog..." Gerrard replied, reaching over with his right arm to brush apart the long grass obscuring the name on it.

The name chalked onto the headstone read in block capitals: BOB.

"His first vessel. Big. Black. He runs at night... or ran... " Gerrard muttered, explaining the unanswered question by all three. "He might prefer the form of men, but when we went _killing together_, he was my - " He then stopped, his eyes widening. He then threw his head back, and screamed.

Cooper immediately rushed forward as Gerrard fell backward and into Hawk's arms. Gerrard was shaking uncontrollably.

"Call an ambulance!" Cooper shouted at Harry, just as Gerrard's body stiffened, his eyes closed, and he fell into sudden unconsciousness.

* * *

Eileen decided to break the silence between her and her husband since his return from the Great Northern. Will had not elaborated on what had been exchanged between he and Ben and buried his nose in the newspaper, and Eileen figured since he had no bruises, it had thankfully not apparently turned violent.

"Not going to the town meeting?"

Will lowered his copy of the Gazette and looked at her in surprise, the first time he had acknowledged her since he returned home. "You don't buy all those things that horrible Lana girl is saying about Harry?"

"Of course not, no."

The doorbell rang, and both she and Will exchanged a mutual look of confusion.

Putting his copy of the Gazette aside, Will walked to the door. As he opened it, there was no mistaking the quiet voice that greeted him.

"Hey, dad."

"DONNA!" Will shouted, his eldest daughter rushing into his arms. Both father and daughter began to cry, as did Eileen as she joined them in the doorway. Will wiped a tear as he then heard both Harriet and Gernstein race out of their bedrooms, and down the stairs to join the family scene.

As Donna went on her knees to hug her – all trace of the anger of the other night - Eileen was the first in her inquiries, looking at her as she ran a hand through her daughter's hair. "Where have you been staying... ? How have you been eating... ? Has money been a problem?"

Harriet sat at the bottom step of the stairs, stroking her chin thoughtfully. She narrowed eyes, saying almost to herself: "The prodigal daughter returns – but a moment of catharsis for the players? Or yet another complication?"

Will ignored his middle-child's eccentric musings, putting an arm around Gernstein, while Donna kneeled down to hug her mother.

Eileen looked at her, running a hand through her daughter's hair. "Not that it isn't wonderful to see you, dear, but the sum up the general sentiment of everyone... how?"

Donna grinned awkwardly at the question, and motioned to the open doorway. Will then noticed a figure standing in shadow just outside the porch.

Will smiled warmly, extending his free hand – that the other man seemed surprised to have been offered. Donna released her breath, clearly expecting another reaction as her companion returned the handshake and stepped into the light of the porch for all the Hayward family to see.

But Will was sincere. "Welcome back to town, James."

* * *

"Hold on a moment."

Cooper frowned, looking down at Albert's hand on his arm as he reached for the interrogation room door.

"Albert, Gordon's waiting."

Albert sighed. "I'm well aware of that, but let the poor vet's ears bleed for a while, got some inquiries to make of you."

Cooper turned to him, raising an eyebrow. "Albert, I told you I'm perfectly capable returning to the field. We've got to get to the bottom of where Earle has gone, I'm not letting him get close to anyone I love again. Gerrard's reappearance is key, I know it."

Albert folded his arms, fixing his friend with a glare. "Never let it be said the great White Knight D. B. Cooper didn't give half a damn. Don't be ridiculous; no-one would have thought less of you if you've taken a week of leave. Take that nice Blackburn girl to some spa in the country somewhere."

He could sense Cooper's rising impatience. "I'm sure you and Harry would have got to the bottom of it, as always Albert, your treatment of the local law enforcement should be a case study in the handbook on Bureau cooperation."

Albert gave him a lock of mock-hurt. "And here I thought Truman and myself were getting close, certainly if the burning sexual tension was anything to go by."

"Albert please! And don't think I'll easily forget you planting the idea of Chet Desmond into Harry's head."

Albert did his best to look surprised. "Oh? Inquired after that, did he? I should start giving the big lug more credit."

He could see a vein throbbing in Cooper's forehead. "So I'll assume you didn't realise Harry would ask me about that? That perhaps reminding me of a deeply traumatic incident of a few months before might impede my ability the work, to then take that break you continually requested of me after I was hospitalized? It certainly makes sense why you had Dr. Jacoby give me an evaluation after a long line of the Bureau's doctors... it was stalling tactics to make sure I stayed out of this for as long as possible."

Albert raised his hands in defeat. He could not help but smile. "What can I say? I care deeply for you Coop, even if I have a roundabout way of showing it."

Cooper sighed loudly, then entering the interrogation room with Albert close behind.

Lydecker looked up at the new arrivals. Gordon was standing in a far corner, watching the vet carefully. Albert thought Lydecker seemed rather concerned at the presence of two similarly suited Federal agents.

"Where's the sheriff?" Lydecker inquired.

Cooper took it upon himself to take command. "The sheriff and his deputies are attending a local meeting. He will return to us as soon as he is ready."

There was then another knock at the door, and Albert resisted the urge to swear as the familiar curls followed by the head of Lucy Moran appeared around the door.

"Sorry to interrupt Agent Cooper, I know you were saying this was an important meeting and all but - "

"Is there a problem, Lucy?"

"No, but I was wondering, considering it has been a number of hours – does Mr. Lydecker want something to drink?"

Both Cooper and Gordon smiled at her request, while Albert let out an exaggerated sigh; shaking his head at the increasing bemused looking Bob Lydecker.

"Mr. Lydecker?"

Lydecker shrugged, "An ice water would be nice."

Lucy nodded, and then recalled something she had been meaning to say to Lydecker. "Oh, and Mr. Lydecker, I got to say that was a real nice thing you did for Jeannie Polalski."

All men, especially Lydecker, seemed surprised at the mention.

"Oh?"

"Y'know, giving that great bit Basset hound a nice home after someone abandoned it out by Highway 9. She told me in the supermarket the other day her daughter Ronnette has taken to the dog real nicely after... what happened to her. I think her parents like to see her smile again."

Albert suddenly felt a great upsurge of affection and beamed at Lucy. Now, it was her turn to look uncomfortable.

"I'll um, get that ice water, Mr. Lydecker."

* * *

"I'm surprised. Not attending the meeting at the town hall?"

Sylvia Horne looked up at her desk to see John Justice Wheeler walk down the steps into her office. "Oh, I think Sheriff Truman is a good man. Ben's had it in for Truman and all his predecessors, and it was he who really pushed for this meeting with the mayor."

John nodded, taking in the new furniture and fixings of her office. "I might have gone, but Ben left me crunching numbers. Apparently we could indeed take the Stop Ghostwood nationwide, we have one of the state senators meeting him next week. His office, of course, Ben thinks the janitor's closet will give the wrong idea."

Sylvia laughed. "You really buy into all this pine weasel crap?"

John shrugged, as he walked closer to her desk. "Does it really matter? I owe your husband a lot, he got me where I am now."

"Come off it, John, if Ben had half your business acumen, Horne Enterprises would hardly just be this hotel and some vaguely scattered interests. Or is it my daughter you came back for?"

John put his hands on the desk and leaned over to meet her eyes. "Now, now, Sylvia, we both know one woman under this roof captured my heart first."

Sylvia was feeling increasingly awkward as he swiftly moved behind her desk; she couldn't meet John's eyes but she was smiling to herself. "Now, Mr. Wheeler, we've discussed this since. It was a mistake. Ben and I were having a rather miserable anniversary celebration, and I... wandered upstairs..."

In a swift motion, John put his arm around Sylvia and pulled her close. "Ah, yes, and I a strapping young lumberjack's son trying to happen upon the wine cabinet instead found a weeping, distressed, and beautiful... " His voice dropped to a whisper. "_You_."

Sylvia giggled as she leaned back and swept the paperwork off her desk, allowing John to rest her onto the solid oak as he gazed down at her. He began kissing her along the neck, and he then slowly unbuttoned her blouse.

"Now, let's see do I remember this correctly..."

* * *

"Is... is this thing on?" Dwayne echoed into the microphone. Ben sighed as he stood up from his seat on the podium, and took the microphone.

He patted the confused mayor on the shoulder reassuringly and urged him to sit. Dwayne shuffled into his seat beside Lana, and then seemed to awaken as she kissed him on the cheek.

Out of the corner of his eye, Ben could see Deputy Hawk exchange what was no doubt a smirk with Truman. On Ben's right, sat the sheriff and his deputies. On his left, sat the mayor and several concerned business leaders. It was rather a shame Catherine was not present, he felt, she would be rather good in this kind of fight.

"Yes, thank you Mayor Milford..." Ben began. He looked out towards the crowd of townspeople. He best get this right, there was a potential Senate race to consider. "My dear citizens of Twin Peaks. I, like many of you, have become greatly fearful for the future of the community. Not the least of which the numerous disasters visited upon our town in the last numbers of weeks. Multiple homicides, not to mention several acts of domestic terrorism. And now we had the great men of the Federal Bureau of Investigation here to help clean this town up... "

Ben thought he could have sounded a little less embittered in his tone on that last point, but he pressed on. "Such incidents are not only a failure of law enforcement." He then spun around on the podium, pointing a finger straight at Sheriff Truman, who looked not the least bit troubled by his words. "But a failure of – "

He would have then said 'leadership', were it not for all the lights – and the microphone – suddenly powering off.

* * *

"Gee, I hope someone's not gone and blown up the power station again." Lucy muttered.

Andy tightened his arms around her, holding her close. Somehow they had found each other in the darkness, any previous arguments forgotten. "You okay pump-kee?"

"Oh Andy, I'm just worried – "

Lucy then jumped as she felt an impact on Andy's back. The deputy nearly fell tripped and fell over on her, but steadied himself. She could hear retreating footsteps.

"What in the - ?!" Andy cried out.

Now, Lucy was panicked. "Andy?!"

If anything, she thought her boyfriend got more of a fright. "Someone just rushed by me there in the dark!"

* * *

"Take it easy, Mr. Lydecker. We're just having a brief power outage."

Albert lit a match, illuminating their suddenly darkened surroundings. He could see Cooper looking at him curiously. Albert guessed he was no doubt remembering the last time there was no electricity in the Sheriff's station.

Gordon cut into the eerie quiet, nearly sending Lydecker off his chair in shock. "YOU KNOW, REMINDS ME OF THE TIME IN '71 ME AND RACCOON SMITHS WERE CHASING THE CROSSWORD KILLER IN DOWNTOWN SEATTLE! WE WERE – "

Suddenly, the door of the interrogation room swung open, slamming off the opposite wall. Albert raised his match towards the doorway, revealing a man in a white suit. A man with an intense, determined expression. And a man Albert had not seen since the day Chester Desmond disappeared.

"Phillip Jeffries?!" Cooper shouted in disbelief, as Jeffries ignored him, crossing the room towards where Lydecker was seated.

In a quick motion, Albert pulled his gun from his holster, still only managing to keep the lit match between his fingers.

"What... WHAT DO YOU WANT FROM ME?!" Lydecker cried, scrambling to his feet. He backed against the far wall, looking helplessly at the stunned agents while Jeffries stared at him.

"Gordon, I can take him!" Albert barked, carefully making sure he had his gun trained to wound the white-suited man.

Gordon raised his hand, shaking his head vigorously. Albert swore under his breath as he retreated his gun, and he noted beside him Cooper already had his hand at his side ready to draw. Albert noticed Jeffries give Cooper a look of considerable distaste, before returning to Lydecker. For a moment, there was a flash of something in Cooper's eyes Albert never saw before. But Cooper blinked, and it was gone.

Lydecker was pressing himself against the wall, closing his eyes as Jeffries slowly walked to him.

Jeffries spoke barely above a whisper. "You know many things he wants to know. And he cannot find out."

Lydecker looked baffled. "What do you THINK I know?"

Jeffries smiled, laying his right hand on Lydecker's shoulder. "Judy!"

On that word, Gordon cried out, making a motion forward as – for all intents and purposes – both Jeffries and Lydecker vanished before their eyes.

* * *

The lights then switched back on at the town hall, and Harry smirked as both Horne brothers looked suddenly embarrassed when they realised the audience before them would see them arguing as they grappled for the microphone.

Hawk turned to Harry and was about to speak – when both men jumped in surprise as a loud shriek then went up through the meeting hall.

Harry spun around to see Lana Milford pointing up towards the ceiling, her mouth agape. People around her were similarly reacting, some already loudly pushing back their chairs and beginning to race from the room. Harry then looked up.

"Dear Lord."

A black suited man was apparently dangling by his legs from the rafters above, his arms astray and swinging in opposite directions. Harry tried to make out the features on his face, a feat made the more difficult by the people rushing by him.

Harry raised his voice over the rising din, "Please, if you could all just - "

Then, the man's body fell from the ceiling, loudly crashing into the empty seats below. Curiously, only Del Mibbler remained close-by, sitting three seats away from the point of impact. He leaned over his cane, looking curiously at the suited figure.

However, it was Del alone who had such a reaction – as Harry found himself shoved out into the corridor, forcing himself to press against the wall; his pleas for calm useless. He caught Ben Horne momentarily glowering at him as Ben and his brother pushed through the panicked mass.

The way clear, Harry then removed his gun and walked inside, already Hawk had made his way to the body. As he approached, Harry could hear the tail-end of an exchange between his deputy and the bemused bank manager.

"I was trying to tell him the ab-sailing club was next week...."

"Really, it's_ fine_, Mr. Mibbler."

Harry looked down on the body, the man being face down on the ground. "What have we got?"

Hawk had an expression of firm certainty. "I think we both know."

Harry nodded, and Hawk turned over the body. The man seemed to be wearing some sort of white-face paint with his open mouth revealing blackened teeth. Still, there was no mistaking the face of the man they had memorized in weeks of photographs back at the station.

Windom Earle. Hawk reached over, and touched his neck, and then took Earle's wrist. He shook his head at Harry. Dead.

"Oh God, what do you suppose that face paint is for?"

Harry and Hawk both frowned, and noticed Audrey Horne standing beside them. She was leaning over, hands on knees, and looking at the scene with utmost curiosity. She was seemingly unphased at the macabre nature of the sight of the body.

Del Mibbler then broke the silence. The old man let forth a loose chuckle.

"Why, he's a bit late for the mime convention ain't he?"

* * *

_"Chet. Oh God, Chet." _

_Chester Desmond coughed as blood streamed out of his mouth, and his eyes parted slightly. He seemed to sag at his knees, and then forced himself to stand up. He smiled at Dale and Laura while he swayed on his feet. All he while he clutched the gunshot wounds to his stomach. _

_Dale shook his hand, "I'm so sorry, Chet. But you had Agent Henderson at knifepoint."_

_Chet nodded. Noticeably, he was now speaking in the stilted dialect of the Black Lodge residents. "Sounds ugly."_

_Laura looked at Dale, "I don't understand. Who is he?"_

_"He's -" Dale gulped. "What's left of all that is good is Agent Chester Desmond. He was one of our finest agents, but he disappeared in the field... investigating Theresa Banks' murder. And when he returned, he had lost his mind. Killed his sister and niece." _

_"Why?" _

_Dale looked at Chet, and the two nodded, both saying at the same time. "Bob." _

_Laura gasped, shivering as she grabbed Dale's arm. _

_Chet coughed, and then continued. "I took the ring... and came here. And when I saw you, I ran from he who wasn't me. Ran for so long. And I learnt so much about this place. And I met them." _

_"Who?" Dale asked. _

_"Phillip. Windom, but he was empty." _

_"This place does that, Chet. Toying with your mind, your insecurities." _

_Chet smiled, "I know, Dale, but time to stop running." _

_Dale walked towards his former colleague, and laid a hand on his shoulder. "It doesn't have to be over for you, you still might have a part to play in all this. Death may have claimed her body, but I haven't given up on Laura yet." _

_Beside him, he could see Laura's expression brighten. Chet nodded, seemingly assured of what he is doing. "My part is over. It is you who must take centre stage. He has wanted you. Wanted you for so long. He has little use for my soul. It is merely a side-step to what he truly desires." _

_"But can he be beaten, Chet?"_

_"You will see soon. We all will. The battle is drawing nigh." Chet then looked behind Cooper, and both he and Laura noticed Chet's doppelganger step through from behind the curtain. The evil double seemed to pay Laura and Cooper no notice, and looked directly at Chet with malevolent intent. _

_"Laura!" Dale whispered, extending a hand to the nearby girl. Laura looked from Chet to the doppelganger, who was slowly approaching. She seemed fearful for the doomed FBI Agent. "Do you really have to?" _

_Dale nodded, a deeply saddened expression on his face. "This is how it has to be. Will be. Or was." _

_Laura clasped Dale's hand, as the room suddenly darkened and the lights started flashing. The doppelganger had plunged his hand into Chet's chest, and pulled it out again where a great pillar of fire emerged and the doppelganger pulled out with an outstretched hand. _

_Laura and Chet both screamed as the latter dropped to the floor in the pool of his own blood, and the fire vanished. Dale determinedly pulled a horrified Laura in the opposite direction as the doppelganger laughed manically. Just as he and Laura stepped into the brightly-lit corridor, Dale cast his head back one last time to see the doppelganger turn back through the curtains from the far side from where he came. _

_As the curtains parted in front of Chet's doppelganger, Dale could just make out the trees of Glastonbury Grove as the doppelganger stepped outside. Then a curtain obscured Dale's own view of the previous room and both he and Laura were alone once more._

**TO BE CONTINUED...**


End file.
